LG Ambassador Challenge Brings Ambulance to Barangay Pangil, Laguna

A mountain barangay in Pangil, Laguna waited two decades for a reliable ambulance, and the 2026 LG Ambassador Challenge is what finally answered the call. Barangay Galalan sits roughly 20 kilometers from the nearest hospital, and until this month it had no dedicated vehicle for emergencies.

For years, residents relied on motorcycles, private cars, bicycles, and even garbage trucks to move patients. In Sitio Gisgis, one of the farthest communities, people carry the injured by hand in a duyan, a hammock-like sling, along a walking trail that takes about 45 minutes to an hour before any vehicle can take over.

The LG Ambassador Challenge at work

That changed on September 22, when LG Electronics Philippines formally turned over a PhP1.6-million ambulance to the barangay. The vehicle is the winning entry of the 2026 LG Ambassador Challenge, a program the company has supported since 2019. This year, the cycle focused on medical aid and education, with particular attention to maternal and child welfare.

The project, named Life Saver on Wheels, was proposed by residents themselves, and Pastor Ramil B. Repolido has done missionary work in the barangay for two decades. LG officials said the community’s willingness to serve its own members was what set the entry apart.

Managed by the community

The ambulance will be stationed at the barangay hall under the oversight of Repolido, who co-proposed the project and now serves as its ambulance manager.

A driver from the barangay health office will handle dispatches, with coordination support from the Rural Health Center for first-aid response. The barangay is also planning a dedicated, accessible parking area so the vehicle can leave quickly once a call comes in.

“No ambulance trips are made there,” Repolido said of the area’s old transport options. He described patients forced to ride motorcycles, cars, bicycles, and a garbage truck, and in Sitio Gisgis, a walk of 45 minutes to an hour before reaching a road.

A barangay council member said the community is now ready to reach a hospital at any time, on any day, when a medical emergency strikes, without worrying about transport.

Nakhyun Seong, Managing Director of LG Electronics Philippines, framed the donation as a long-term commitment. “If you want to support a long-term cause, an ambulance is exactly that,” he said. “At the heart of LG, there is warmth and understanding.”

Seong added that the company’s priorities for future cycles remain children, education, and healthcare. The turnover is the latest chapter in a commitment LG has kept since 2019, when it began backing community-proposed projects through the Ambassador Challenge. The project follows a run of community donations from technology brands in the Philippines, including equipment sent to communities in Sarangani earlier this year.