Philippine Red Cross Chairman and former Senator Richard Gordon wants to more than double the organization’s ambulance fleet—from 180 to 400 units—to ensure every Filipino can be reached in an emergency.
Gordon laid out the expansion target in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on May 2, saying the current fleet, while spanning every province, must grow to guarantee rapid response for a country of the Philippines’ size and population.
“Nung umupo ako sa Red Cross, isa’t kalahati lang yung ambulansya dahil yung kalahati tinutulak pa para humandar,” Gordon said in jest, describing the state of the PRC fleet when he assumed the chairmanship.
The PRC currently operates 180 Department of Health-licensed ambulances, each staffed by at least two Emergency Medical Technicians and a driver, and equipped with oxygen bottles, defibrillators, and ventilators.
Units are coordinated through a central operations center that can dispatch ambulances to any point in the country, from Metro Manila to as far as Sulu and Negros, reachable through hotline 143.
“Matatawagan ko ang Sulu, matatawagan ko ang Negros, matatawagan ko lahat ng lugar na makakadalo sa’yo ang Red Cross ambulance or vehicle,” Gordon said.
The PRC responded to 33,000 accident incidents in 2025, with Gordon noting that most victims initially refused ambulance transport because they could not afford it.
He said expanded enrollment in the PRC’s Safe Card membership program—at P1,200 per person annually — is key to funding the fleet expansion, with proceeds going toward ambulance maintenance, fuel, and EMT training.
