Davao city: A home for the aged run by the Archdiocese of Cotabato received a PHP2 million patient transport vehicle (PTV) from a lawmaker of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), officials said Tuesday. Bangsamoro Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Susana S. Anayatin, also executive director of the Office of Settler Communities - Office of the Chief Minister of BARMM, donated a brand-new PTV to the Cotabato Bahay Maria on Monday afternoon, as funded under her 2024 Transitional Development Impact Fund.

According to Philippines News Agency, Anayatin said the project, with help from colleagues at the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, the region's provisional lawmaking body, was implemented by BARMM's Ministry of Health, led by Health Minister and MP Dr. Kadil M. Sinolinding Jr.

Bahay Maria's management expressed elation over the vehicle donation, which they said would benefit their residents. "Our hearts are full of gratitude. It is with immense pleasure and profound appreciation that we stand here to receive this invaluable gift: a brand-new PTV," the management of the Cotabato Bahay Maria Foundation, Inc. (CBMFI) said in a statement Tuesday.

The nuns running Bahay Maria also said that the PTV is more than a means of transportation - it is a lifeline representing accessibility, comfort, and, most importantly, peace of mind. "It ensures our elderly residents can reach medical appointments, therapies, and emergency care safely and promptly. This vehicle will significantly enhance their quality of life, provide the dignity and care they deserve in their golden years," they said.

Bahay Maria has long been a sanctuary for the aged in the city, a place where they can find comfort, care, and companionship. "We pledge to take the best care of this vehicle and use it to its fullest potential, honoring the spirit of generosity with which it was given," the CBMFI said.