Since establishing a branch in Odiongan in 2016, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has helped over 13,000 Romblomanons through their medical assistance programs.
During the Kapihan sa PIA Romblon event on June 25, PCSO Romblon Branch Head Kristy Fetalver highlighted the continuous support they provide to financially challenged Romblomanons for medical treatment.
“Based on our records since 2016, we have distributed P80.44 million to 13,349 Romblomanons who received treatment in both public and private hospitals in the province,” Fetalver reported.
Most of the people seeking help from PCSO have substantial hospital bills that other government agencies' assistance cannot fully cover, such as patients undergoing dialysis, bone implants, and other significant medical procedures.
Patients seeking assistance from PCSO need to coordinate with the hospital where they are admitted to provide the necessary requirements. Fetalver mentioned that if all requirements are complete, they can issue a guarantee letter within 30 minutes, specifying the amount PCSO will cover for the patient's hospital bill.
Besides medical assistance, PCSO continues to extend aid to barangays and local government units, including distributing medicines to 32 barangays in 13 towns across the province. They also provided patient transport vehicles to Romblon Provincial Hospital and the municipalities of Corcuera, San Andres, San Agustin, and Romblon, which are used to transport patients to hospitals.
Fetalver explained that the funds for these charitable activities come from the revenues generated by PCSO's games, such as the nightly lotto games that many players eagerly follow.
“Our program is open to our fellow citizens as long as we are able to help because we also depend on our funds. We continuously thank those who support our games because that's where we get the funds for the Filipino people,” Fetalver expressed.
