ISLAND BARANGAYS NEED SEA AMBULANCES

ISLAND BARANGAYS NEED SEA AMBULANCES

Here are no-brainer observations that I want to share with you: many island barangays in the Philippines do not even have their own health centers, and in the event of medical emergencies, there are no ambulances that could take them to a hospital.

But wait—let’s assume for a moment that there are ambulances. How will they cross the seas? Won’t they need a RO-RO vessel? Yes, but not all island barangays have access to a RO-RO vessel. This means that thousands of our fellow Filipinos living on islands are virtually stranded when life-and-death situations strike.

The Philippines is made up of 7,641 islands. Of our 42,046 barangays, experts estimate that at least 5,000 to 7,000 are located on islands. Provinces like Palawan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Masbate, Romblon, and Camiguin are practically defined by their island barangays. Yet despite this reality, most of these barangays have no sea ambulance. Instead, people rely on fishing boats or motorized bancas to bring patients to hospitals, often in the dead of night, in rough seas, with no medical equipment on board.

This is not just a health issue—it is a governance issue. The Local Government Code is clear: LGUs are responsible for providing basic health services. Yet many LGUs have never prioritized sea ambulances in their budgets. They wait for donations, or worse, simply let their people fend for themselves.

There should be a law that requires LGUs to provide sea ambulances to island barangays under their jurisdiction. They should not wait for handouts or foreign aid. They should use their own Internal Revenue Allotments. If LGUs can afford to fund fiestas, basketball courts, and welcome arches, why not sea ambulances that save lives?

And let’s be clear—sea ambulances should not be improvised motorboats with a cross painted on them. They should be fully equipped, just like land-based ambulances, and staffed with trained EMTs. They should have oxygen, stretchers, first aid kits, and life-saving equipment. They should have marine-quality radios—not cell phones that lose signal in the middle of the sea.

But it doesn’t stop there. A proper system must be in place. A sea ambulance should be connected to a 911-type dispatch system that covers the municipality or city. There should also be land-based ambulances waiting at the port to fetch the patient and complete the emergency run. Otherwise, the effort of saving a life at sea will be wasted once the patient reaches land and must wait for transport again.

Take Jomalig Island in Quezon Province as an example. A 2019 health assessment showed that only the main health center had relatively complete services, while remote barangays could not access care due to lack of transport. This is not unique to Jomalig. It is the reality in hundreds, if not thousands, of island barangays.

The truth is, over 5,000 coastal barangays likely lack land-based connectivity to hospitals. Less than 10% of coastal LGUs have dedicated maritime emergency units. The result: poor maternal and child health outcomes, preventable deaths from accidents, and a glaring lack of disaster resilience.

So, what can be done?

First, Congress should pass legislation mandating LGUs with island barangays to procure and operate sea ambulances. Second, the Department of Health should integrate sea ambulance programs into its Health Facilities Enhancement Program. Third, LGUs should explore cooperative or cluster-based systems—where two or three municipalities can share one or two sea ambulances for efficiency.

And finally, accountability must be enforced. Too often, sea ambulances fall between the cracks—health agencies think it’s a transport issue, while transport agencies think it’s a health issue. In the meantime, lives are lost.

I believe this is one of those cases where the solution is not rocket-science. It is common sense. Our people need sea ambulances. Island barangays deserve the same emergency services as mainland ones. The only question is whether our leaders will choose to act.

Because in the Philippines, with our thousands of islands, this is not a luxury. It is a necessity. And the time to provide it is now.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, 09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com

12-01-2025 

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