For a mountain community in Pangil, Laguna, where reaching a hospital can mean a long journey on foot before finding a vehicle, a new ambulance brings hope for faster and safer access to emergency care.

For residents of Barangay Galalan in Pangil, Laguna, getting a sick or injured family member to a hospital has long been a difficult journey. Without a dedicated ambulance, families have had to rely on motorcycles, bicycles, private vehicles, and even garbage trucks to transport patients. In the most remote areas, residents have carried patients by hand along mountain trails before reaching a road.

That reality is beginning to change.

LG Electronics Philippines formally turned over a ₱1.6-million ambulance to the community on September 22, bringing the winning project of the 2026 LG Ambassador Challenge from a long-held aspiration to a tangible source of support for residents in need of emergency transportation.

For a community that has waited years for reliable emergency transport, the ambulance represents more than a new vehicle. It offers greater peace of mind to families who may otherwise struggle to get loved ones to medical facilities when time matters most.
A Community’s Long-Standing Need
For Pastor Ramil B. Repolido, co-proponent of the “Life Saver on Wheels” project and its designated ambulance manager, the initiative reflects a need he has witnessed throughout two decades of missionary work in the barangay.

Located approximately 20 kilometers from the nearest hospital, Galalan faces significant transportation challenges, particularly in its more remote settlements.

In Sitio Gisgis, one of the farthest areas of the barangay, residents must first carry patients along a walking trail before reaching a road where a vehicle can pick them up. The trek can take 45 minutes to an hour. Residents sometimes use a duyan, a traditional hammock-like sling, to transport patients to the barangay center.

These difficulties have made access to emergency care a persistent concern for families, especially when someone needs urgent medical attention.

When the ambulance project was selected as a winner in the LG Ambassador Challenge, Repolido said the community was deeply grateful that a long-standing hope was finally becoming a reality.

“We are very thankful to LG because it has been an instrument for us to grow what we have been praying for for a long time,” he said, expressing his belief that the project was a blessing for the community.
Turning Community Initiative Into Meaningful Support
The “Life Saver on Wheels” project was selected under the 2026 LG Ambassador Challenge, which focused on medical assistance and education, with particular attention to maternal and child welfare.

For LG Electronics Philippines Managing Director Nakhyun Seong, the ambulance reflects the value of supporting initiatives that address a community’s continuing needs.

“If you want to support a long-term cause, an ambulance is exactly that. Emergency response is something a community needs for the long run, and that’s a priority for LG,” Seong said.

He added that the company hopes to bring warmth and understanding to communities by supporting people who develop practical solutions to local challenges.

“At the heart of LG, there is warmth and understanding,” he said. “That’s what we want to bring to people, by helping and by supporting those who can improve innovation in their own communities.”

Since 2019, LG has supported community-proposed projects through its Ambassador Challenge, providing an avenue for local advocates to turn identified needs into initiatives that can benefit residents.

In Galalan, the project began with people who understood firsthand the difficulties faced by their neighbors. Their determination helped bring the need for dependable emergency transport to the attention of a program designed to support community-driven solutions.
Giving Families Greater Peace of Mind
For Felix Arbol Jr., a member of the Barangay Council and a church elder who helped rally support for the project, the community knew what would make the greatest difference: having an ambulance available when emergencies arise.

With the new vehicle, residents can look forward to a more organized way of transporting patients to medical facilities instead of having to depend entirely on whatever transportation is available.

“If we have an ambulance, we are willing to go to the hospital at any time, any day, as long as it’s an emergency,” Arbol said. “We don’t have to worry about transportation anymore.”

The ambulance will be stationed at the barangay hall and managed locally under Repolido’s oversight. A driver from the barangay health office will help operate the vehicle, while the Rural Health Center will provide coordination support for first-aid response.

The barangay is also planning a dedicated, accessible parking area to help ensure that the ambulance can be dispatched promptly when needed.

Although the vehicle does not remove every challenge associated with living in a mountainous area, it provides the community with an important resource for improving emergency transportation and coordinating access to healthcare.
A Commitment to Communities That Need It Most
For LG Electronics Philippines, the turnover is part of a broader effort to support communities through projects that respond to practical, long-term needs.

Seong said the company’s priorities moving forward will continue to focus on children, education, and healthcare—areas that can have a lasting impact on families and communities.

In Barangay Galalan, the ambulance stands as a reminder of what can happen when local advocates, community leaders, and a corporate partner work toward a shared goal.

For residents who once had to navigate difficult trails and improvise transportation during medical emergencies, the new vehicle offers something they have long needed: another way to reach care when it matters.

And for the people who spent years working toward this project, its arrival is not simply the end of a long wait. It is the beginning of a new chapter in the community’s effort to look after its own.