FACT CHECK: Viral photos of fire, ambulance trikes are AI-generated

The Patient Transport Vehicles distributed by Marcos were part of a program by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, but they do not resemble the tricycle-type 'Hospital on Wheels' shown in the viral post

AT A GLANCE

• A Facebook post falsely claims that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. distributed ambulance and fire trikes to local government units across the Philippines.
• Fact-checking revealed that the images in the post were AI-generated, and the Bureau of Fire Protection clarified that full-sized fire trucks are being used, not the smaller fire trikes mentioned.

This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors.

CLAIM: President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. distributed ambulance and fire trikes to local government units (LGUs) across the country.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A Facebook post uploaded has already garnered over 172,600 reactions, 12,000 shares, and 11,800 comments as of writing.

As the caption reads, “Nagpapatuloy ang pamamahagi ng mga compact Patient Transport Vehicle o PTV sa iba’t ibang LGU sa bansa… Ayon kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., naging konsiderasyon sa pagpili ng ganitong modelo ang mga lugar na hindi madaling mapasok ng malalaking emergency vehicle, prinsipyong ginagamit din ng administrasyon sa ilang maliliit o tricycle-type firetruck.”

(The distribution of compact Patient Transport Vehicles [PTVs] to various local government units [LGUs] across the country continues. According to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the selection of this type of vehicle took into consideration areas that are difficult for large emergency vehicles to access—a principle also applied by the administration in the use of smaller, tricycle-type fire trucks.)

The Facts: All three pictures attached on the graphic material used in the Facebook post were AI-generated according to an analysis made by Hive Modernation. The first photo of Marcos riding the fire truck was 99.9% likely to be AI-generated; the second photo which was the ‘hospital on wheels’ was 81.7%; and the third photo of the fire trikes was 93.9% AI-generated.

On October 7, the Bureau of Fire Protection, through a Facebook post, clarified that the fire trucks being used for their operations are full-sized with varying capacities and capabilities depending on operational requirements.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla clarified that the 1,500 fire trucks to be procured from South Korea in 2027 are also full-sized.

Fire trikes: Remulla clarified that the circulating fire trikes were not procured by the DILG but by LGUs, particularly San Antonio, Nueva Ecija. 

“To be clear, ang bumili no’n [fire trikes] ay [LGU] Nueva Ecija. Ang binibili namin ay galing South Korea, 10 million pesos each.”

(To be clear, Nueva Ecija was the one that purchased those fire trikes. The ones we are buying are from South Korea, at ₱10 million each.)

Ambulance trikes: Marcos, through the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), distributed Patient Transport Vehicles (PTVs) to all 82 provinces nationwide, according to a press release dated July 24, 2026.

The PTVs were provided under the PCSO’s Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program, with units distributed to LGUs free of charge and equipped with a stretcher, spine board, wheelchair, blood pressure monitor, first aid kit, and oxygen system.

However, no reports have established that the PTVs distributed by the administration resemble the tricycle-type “Hospital on Wheels” depicted in the viral post.

The Hospital on Wheels is a separate mobile surgical and healthcare facility founded by Dr. Juan “Jim” Sanchez Jr. that provides free medical, surgical, dental, and optical services to underserved communities. – Jennifer Pading/Rappler.com

Jennifer Jezreel Kaye Pading is an economics student at Visayas State University in Baybay City in Leyte. An Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow for 2026, she is also the Executive Editor of Amaranth and community officer of AYEJ-Leyte Panaad Ha Sinirangan.

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