Angkas has been metaphoric life-savers when traffic is dominant and when we need to get to a place immediately. However, a lot of critics see Angkas to be a dangerous mode of transportation especially iwth the experience and what they’re witnessing from motorists on the road. However, to negate these claims, Angkas said that their drivers are cautious and they do not let anyone ride without safety equipment like helmets, and without the assurance that they can move one passenger from a location to another. Recently, they announced a plan of releasing Angkas Buhay, which is the “emergency” feature of Angkas and will serve as an ambulance on two wheels.
Angkas Buhay and why it can have a better function
With the continuous and ongoing traffic in multiple parts of the country, four-wheeled vehicles would find it difficult to twist, turn, and to pass through narrow roads and alternate routes in the Philippines.
Angkas is planning on having an emergency button which will notify and alert Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) in the vicinity and proximity of soon-patients. This is what they’ll call Angkas Buhay and the drivers of these will be current Angkas drivers. Their vehicle will be specially-designed “ambucycles” with all needed equipment and medical supplies.
With this, people who need to be in a hospital ASAP can have the assurance that they won’t be stuck in traffic. Furthermore, they don’t have to haggle for time in the event that they need to be in a hospital immediately.
Angeline Tham, Angkas CEO, says that bringing their passengers to safety is part of their goals. She said this on the Angkas inaugural Safety Fiesta last November 25th, 2018.
Over and beyond delivering goods, from bringing our passengers safely from place to another, Angkas can do so much more.”
Read: Migrate To Switzerland And Earn 1 Million Pesos?
Would there be a difference of these Angkas Buhay EMT riders from the regular Angkas drivers?
Definitely. The soon-to-be Angkas Buhay EMT riders will be efficiently and extensively trained to give temporary stability, treatment, and to attend to patients while waiting for secondary medical units. More so, they will be trained to drive with safety but in the best and fastest times possible.
Of course, there would be severe cases and that is inevitable. In the event that situations like that arise, the Angkas Buhay service will also be treated as a way of doctors being transported to the sites of accidents. So, the service actually goes both ways; both ways that will be able to help patients and people in need in the fastest and most efficient times.
Francis Belecario, an Angkas driver-partner, was actually a driver who was able to rescue and save P01 Berlino L. Ricafort, a man who had an involvement in a Cebu City incident. What Belecario did was he helped Ricafort subdue a mentally-ill person; noting that Ricafort was already injured since he was thrown stones. Belecario also received some minor injuries while it was happening but he was still able to bring Ricafort to the nearest hospital and he was treated there.
Read: What type of commuter are you?
Tham said that if Belecario wasn’t there, the injuries of Ricafort would have been more serious and more dangerous.
We started out with one mission, to help commuters beat the traffic, and for many, that is a lifesaver. Then we realized that we could go further as a public service, not only taking passengers where they need to go, but to hasten the arrival of medical attention for those needing urgent care.”
Currently, Angkas has 20,000 drivers who are currently operating in the platform. Since it was launched, people were eager in using the services because of a faster, easier, and much more efficient transportation. David Medrano, Angkas Operations Head, says that hopefully, a majority of these 20,000 drivers will be encouraged to be a part of the Angkas Buhay program in order for them to save lives and to provide immediate emergency.
We are now committed to training our drivers for this other kind of service. We welcome both new drivers and our current partners to become part of our elite EMT team. Angkas Buhay is accepting applications, and we are looking forward to introducing our first batch of trainees to the public.”
Read: Beating the Modern Manila Traffic
This will provide good and efficient services of Angkas to the public. Moreover, this will serve as an innovation to provide immediate help to patients and people who need medical attention. This 2019, Angkas is hopeful in launching the new in-app feature with confidence and completion so they can immediately roll it out without further complications.
Are you interested to be a part of the Angkas driver-partners team? Do you want a more purposeful role in the community? Join the Angkas Buhay project now and be part of their first team!
