By Joselle Czarina S. Dela Cruz
ANGELES CITY, Pampanga—Unlike certain diseases that could be prevented to end the life of children and young people through vaccines, deaths due to road crashes will continue to increase if the government and citizens fail to take action.
Changes in behavior of the citizens should be the priority in order to make the roads safer, according to Unicef Philippines’s Health and Nutrition Officer Dr. Angelito Umali during the awarding ceremony Star Rating for Schools plaque to Tacondo Elementary School last Nov. 19 in Angeles City, Pampanga.
“[I]sang behavior ng kaligtasan, at isang behavior na hindi ‘yong takot lang sa batas, but gusto niyang sumunod sa batas dahil gusto niyang maging safe siya,” Umali said.
“Kasi at a certain generation ng mga Pilipino, kasi may generation po tayo na kung makakalusot, lulusot,” Umali added.
Umali said three Es must be implemented when it comes to road safety: Engineering intervention, enforcement of the law, and education.
“Kahit mayroon kang Engineering intervention, may enforcement [ng batas], kung ang bata ay lumabas ng kalsada at hindi alam ang gagawin niya, hindi siya aware sa kailangan niyang gawin, balewala po ang lahat ng iyon,” Umali said.
Every year, nearly 220,000 children and young people die due to road crashes, according to the World Health Organization. In the Philippines, there are 1,670 deaths among children and adolescents, based from the latest data of the law group ImagineLaw.
With that, road crashes are the leading cause of death of the young people aged 5-29 years old, ImagineLaw Road Safety Project Manager Reina Fabregas said, citing the data from the global road safety status report.
“What’s even more alarming is that road crashes and the deaths caused by them have become so common but we, as a society, seem to have accepted it as normal… but it should never be okay because every child deserves better,” Fabregas said.
But Fabregas emphasized that making the roads safe is impossible with the help of civil societies, government, and the citizens.
“Road safety is not just a short-term goal, it’s an ongoing responsibility that requires continuous action. That’s why we urge everyone, national and local governments, civil society, schools and communities, to ensure the safety of our children,” Fabregas said.
“[G]oing to school or playing outside should never be a death sentence to children… let us look forward… Dahil ang kalsadang ligtas para sa bata ay ligtas sa lahat,” Fabregas added.
Megan Tagalicud, a grade 6 learner from Tacondo Elementary School, appealed to the local and national government to take action in making the road safer for the future of the young people.
“When roads are safe, there will be risk to our lives when we go outside. When roads are safe, we will be able to walk freely and live our lives fully so that we can achieve our dreams and aspirations in life,” Tagalicud said.
“Reminder, please drive safely near our school. The bright future for me and my fellow learners begins with safe roads,” Tagalicud added.
Tacondo Elementary School was awarded for its road safety efforts by the Angeles City Government, with its partners, Unicef Philippines and ImagineLaw.
The school achieved a five-star rating on the Star Rating for Schools (SR4S) program for its road safety measures such as pedestrian lanes, road markings, signage, traffic signals, and physical barriers to ensure the safety of the children from road crashes.
SR4S is a program used worldwide to measure and address risks that children are exposed to on their journey to and from school.
Angeles City Vice Mayor Vicky Vega Cabigting, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation Chief Corporate Governance and Risk Officer Atty. Cynthia Casiño, Angeles City Traffic Development Office Officer-In-Charge Francis Pangilinan, and Department of Education Angeles Schools Division Superintendent Edgard Domingo were also present during the awarding ceremony.
Road safety measures in PH education system
As young as 5 years old, a child should be taught how to be safe when walking outside and the dangers of the roads.
“[H]indi naman alam ng mga ‘yan ‘yong danger actually. Pero, at a very early age, nasasabihan na sila, then ‘yong consciousness nila nandiyan, kahit bata pa lang sila, natututo na sila, dadalhin nila ‘yon paglaki,” Cabigting said.
Cabigting also said if road safety will be implemented in the K-12 curriculum, the number of deaths due to road crashes among the children and adolescents will decrease.
“[N]ot unless na maging way of life ‘yong safety, marami pa rin ‘yong magiging victims ng mga accident, pero kung magiging way of life natin ‘yan, magiging conscious ‘yong mga magulang, conscious ‘yong mga estudyante, mga kabataan, at mga driver,” Cabigting said.
Aside from educating the young, Cabigting emphasized that drivers should also be reminded of their responsibility on the road.
“[K]asi marami tayong drivers, na nakakakuha ng license pero hindi pumasa sa test, hindi nila alam ‘yong rules, bara-bara ‘yong drive nila… So, I think it’s about consciousness, not just among the children, but among adults also,” Cabigting said.
While road safety is not yet integrated in the education system, Domingo suggested that elementary school teachers should include some of the reminders in their lessons.
“Kapag familiar na ang mga kabataan sa road safety, sa ordinance natin, they can translate it sa iba, puwede nilang i-share sa kanilang mga kapatid at mga magulan at the same time, para ‘yong implementations ay maging smooth,” Domingo said.
“Puwede namang localize, e. Kada divison, kada school, puwede nilang unti-unti na maisama about road safety measures,” Domingo added.
Domingo also said parents, through Parents-Teachers Association, needed to be educated about these road safety measures.
“Puwedeng through seminars. Hindi lang dapat isa ‘yan, dapat continuous, kasi kung one time, big time lang na seminar, baka makalimutan din ng mga magulang,” Domingo said.
