The city government of Batac has purchased its own ambulance, firetruck, and water tanker to improve its capacity to respond to emergencies.

The newly-acquired vehicles are on standby at the government center after these were blessed and tested on Feb. 24, 2021.

In an interview on Friday, Mayor Albert Chua said “the purchase of said equipment is a priority under my administration to boost the emergency preparedness of the city.”

The fire truck has a capacity of 4,000 liters while the water tanker has a capacity of 6,000 liters.

Personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection, City Health Office, General Services Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, among those who attended the blessing and testing of the equipment.

Meanwhile, a total of PHP1 million medical trust fund from the city coffers was turned over to the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, last month to provide immediate financial assistance to all needy residents confined or seeking medical intervention.

City Ordinance No. 5SP 2019-04 passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod in 2019 states that the city government shall be allocating PHP1 million every year to sustain the medical trust fund for its residents. (PNA)