The ambulance of the Servants of Mary who minister to the poor who are sick in Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod City, has all been paid for thanks to those who purchased raffle tickets and donated their winnings, charity diva Token Lizares said Friday, September 17.
The winners of the September 8 raffle were Rodelia Evaristo – P30,000 grand prize, Dr. Carmencita Sarrosa – P20,000 second prize, and Isabela – P10,000 third prize, Sister Carmen Piña, superior of the Servants of Mary community, said.
Five consolation prize winners also won P1,000 each.
All eight winners donated their winnings for the payment of the ambulance, Lizares said.
Lizares said the original price of the ambulance was P1.2 million but they were given a discount by Jojo Ponce who brought the amount down to P935,000.
“God loves the sick and poor so much, he provided the funds for the ambulance that was purchased on faith early this year,” Lizares said.
The Servants of Mary sisters thank all those who purchased the raffle tickets, including DIGICAST NEGROS followers, Lizares said.
“The ambulance transports about three patients a day, there is no day when there are no emergency cases. A lot of lives have been saved because of it,” Lizares said.
The Servants of Mary community’s mission is to care for the poor who are sick through their charity clinic in Handumanan, Sister Carmen Piña said.
“When we were established in Handumanan, we started to discover how many poor sick people were dying in their homes, without any help, for the lack of resources to seek medical services,” she said.
The ambulance is used to transport patients from their homes to their clinic to see a doctor, or to hospitals when needed, she added.*