President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to continue fulfilling its core mission of helping the vulnerable Filipinos.

“I call upon everyone at PCSO to remember the heart of what you do. Continue upholding integrity, benevolence, and excellence,” the President said during the 90th anniversary celebration of the PCSO on Wednesday.

In his speech, President Marcos described the PCSO as an “institution” that has served as a “beacon in times of darkness” for countless Filipinos.

“Nine decades—almost a century of hope, a lottery of chances, and a whole lot of dreams funded, healed, and realized,” the President said.

The President commended the PCSO for becoming a legacy of support and change, “uniting the power of chance with the power of purpose, creating not just a system of funding, but a helping hand for Filipinos in need.”

He highlighted several PCSO programs that impacted many lives, such as the Medical Assistance Program, Institutional Partnership Program, and the Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program, among others.

To mark the agency’s nine decades of service, the President acknowledged the donation of 90 ambulances or patient transport vehicles (PTVs) to assist more Filipinos, particularly those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

He elaborated PCSO’s grant to the Tahanan ng Pagmamahal Children’s Home in Pasig City through the Institutional Partnership Program, which covers essential needs like food, milk and medical expenses for children.

“In a way, this is a quiet promise to each child that there is a community standing behind them, rooting for their future, even when life has given them a tough start,” the President said. | PND