Immensely fulfilling

Since last year up to the present, our road safety advocacy group has gone to a total of fifteen (15) schools conducting free seminars and workshops on road safety. Out of these fifteen, I’ve joined all twelve, missing only three due to my recent European trip. Nothing less than total fulfillment has been experienced by our group after every teach-in. Positive comments and observations from both teachers and students have been giving us such satisfaction that we see no other way but to continue with dedicated resolve our advocacy of teaching the youth how to become responsible and safe road users until even way beyond the time that we get the support of our present patrons. Knowing fully-well that the attendees have learned a thing or two after every seminar/workshop seals our covenant to keep on and on.

The Young Street Smarts (YSS) Road Safety School Tour is a joint project of Sunshine Television (STV) and its benefactor Social Communications Foundation for Asia (Socio Com Foundation) where free seminars/workshops on road safety are conducted for high school students. Starting really lean with only a handful of patrons in 2010, namely, the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC), Petron and Ropali Corp., this year’s undertaking has attracted more supporters being led again by MNTC in cooperation with Air21 and PCSO with the participation of major oil companies, Petron and Caltex and automotive industry major players, Asian Carmakers (BMW), Car Covenant Company (Chevrolet), CATS Motors (Mercedes-Benz), Columbian Autocars (Kia), PGA Cars (Audi), Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, Toyota Motor Philippines, Viking Cars (Volvo) and Honda Cars Kalookan Driving School. Note the joint participation of competing firms, which goes to prove that for some well-meaning companies, corporate social responsibility goes beyond market competition.

Aside from myself, our advocacy group that conducts these seminars is composed of former Honda Cars Philippines top honcho for marketing and co-founder of the Honda Safety Driving Center, Arnel Doria, who’s now STV senior road safety consultant and YSS School Tour project director, we also have Jenny Bleza, the indefatigable Socio Com Foundation executive director and STV vp for production, another mainstay is my daughter Kristin “Tintin” Patricia or DJ Suzy to her legions of listeners in Magic 89.9, who’s the YSS ambassador for youth road safety and “always alive” seminar emcee, together with certified road safety instructors Niel Hindang and Yvette de los Santos both of Honda Cars Kalookan Driving School plus a complete complement of STV production and technical personnel.

Last year the YSS Road Safety School Tour visited nine (9) schools, namely; Lourdes School of Mandaluyong, Rizal High School, Sitero Francisco National High School, Makati Hope Christian School, St. Anthony School, St. Joseph’s College, San Sebastian College, Don Bosco Mandaluyong and Bulacan State University touching the road safety consciousness of more than 3,000 students and teachers.

This year we are targeting to visit from 10 to 15 schools or up to whatever number the busy yearly school calendar allows us. So far we have conducted free seminars in six (6) schools, namely; Jose Rizal University, Pasig Catholic College, La Consolacion Manila, Claret School of Quezon City, Pampanga High School and just last Friday, August 26, the M.H. del Pilar National High School in Malolos, Bulacan.

Ms. Jennifer Apolinario, the school’s Academic Coordinator was on hand when we went to the Pasig Catholic School last July 8th to present to us about 350 students in 3rd and 4th year levels that were assigned to attend the seminar.

La Consolacion College of Manila high school principal, Ms. Luisa Francisco made sure that the 250 students that attended last July 15 came from all levels.

The high school student moderator of Claret School of Quezon City, Ms. Primelou Lucido centered on 4th year students, all 300 of them to participate in the workshop last July 22nd. Mr. Boying Soriano, one of the top executives of Columbian Autocars, the country’s exclusive importers and distributors of remarkable Kia vehicles and a major patron of the project was present and stayed on to observe the entire proceedings. After the seminar he was visibly thankful to have the company he represents invited to be part of the advocacy project to help keep our children safe while on the road.

When we went to Pampanga High School, alma mater of Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal, we were first welcomed and hosted for lunch by the friendly, soft-spoken, low-profile Pampanga philanthropist and president of Honda Cars Pampanga dealership and fellow gun enthusiast, Engineer Eriberto “Erie” Gomez. To warm up the students he also graciously addressed them in Kapangpangan right at the start of the program. The seminar proceedings were further enhanced by the presence of former 2-time LTO head and LTFRB chairman, Engineer Alberto “Bert” Suansing, who’s presently the chairman of the Safety Organization of the Philippines (SOPI) and executive director of the Philippine Global Road Safety Partnership (PGRSP). School principal Mrs. Teresita Zita assembled 250 students composed of class presidents and leaders of student organizations to attend the road safety teach-in.

Last Friday, August 26, Dr. Roberto Toledo, officer-in-charge of M.H. Del Pilar National High School mustered 350 class presidents and teachers for the seminar/workshop, which was again privileged with the presence of Eng. Bert Suansing, who is visibly enamored by the project’s aims, targets and implementation, being presently in the thick of promoting road safety from his top position in the PGRSP and SOPI. He has actually volunteered to pass on some available equipment for further use of the YSS Road Safety School Tour.

It was also last Friday when we announced that the Young Street Smarts Club would now be accepting members. As some of you would know STV, through its flagship TV show, Motoring Today, has been promoting road safety since day 1 of its broadcast in June, 1987. But it was only last year that we decided to zero-in on road safety education for the youth. As a prelude to the ongoing road safety school tour, we created the Young Street Smarts Club portion. Hosted by DJ Suzy, the youth-oriented segment started with a review of “commonly seen traffic signs and road markings” and continued on to “right of way” rules. It is also in this segment where we feature the highlights of each YSS Road Safety School Tour seminar.

To encourage viewership among the students so they can learn further about road safety, we have decided to activate the YSS Club. To be a member all one has to do is register name, age, contact numbers and address. An ID number shall be assigned to each name and an electronic draw shall be held every week and prizes shall be given to lucky club members whose numbers have been drawn. Add to this a weekly road safety quiz where those who answered correctly would win more prizes if their names would be drawn. To be a member write, “I want to join the YSS Club” together with the required details to [email protected] and be more informed about road safety. This is aside from the weekly chance to win prizes just by watching Motoring Today every Sunday at 12 noon on the Solar Sports channel (Channel 70 on Sky Cable and Channel 34 on Global-Destiny). I suggest that parents encourage their children to sign up – it’s a “win-win” for them.

The line-up of schools that have confirmed to be part of the 2011 YSS Road Safety School Tour include Miriam High School, which will have their 2nd and 4th year students on October 14 while their 1st and 3rd year students scheduled on November 25 and Marymount School opting for a December 2 schedule. Those who have expressed keen interest are San Beda Alabang, La Salle Greenhills, La Salle Zobel and Aquinas School.

We are encouraging school officials to urge the parents of the students to likewise attend the seminar/workshops and make learning to become safe and responsible road users a family affair.

Another gala night for the C! Awards

The 7th Annual C! Awards, which was held at One Esplanade within the SM Mall of Asia complex last August 15 was another major event that brought the players of the local auto industry together.

Kevin C. Limjoco, C! Magazine founding editor and publisher briefed me later that although C! first saw light a decade ago, in June 2001 to be precise, he waited after 3 years before launching the now institutional C! Awards for the simple reason that he wanted his team “to have enough seat time behind the steering wheel of every car sold in the Philippines”. And by seat time Kevin meant, “about hundreds of test kilometers per vehicle.”

After 3 years of testing they felt that “they have finally established the proper authority and began nominating the best of the best with each editor casting their votes.” Thus the C! Magazine’s annual C! Awards has evolved into its current special gala night format.

I came late for the event, which fell on a Monday, a normally busy day of the week for me being the “back to the salt mines” day after a restful weekend and likewise the deadline of this weekly column and for that particular Monday with strong rains to boot and therefore horrendous traffic from my office in Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig to MOA. Those who came earlier informed me that Kevin, who emceed the proceedings together with C! Magazine editor-in-chief James Deakin at one point of the program was calling on me to be recognized, being once a C! Awards recipient some 3 years ago of the special auto industry “Lifetime Achievement Award” (their subtle way of telling me it’s time to retire?). Sorry to disappoint you guys.

Congratulations to all the winners of the 7th Annual C! Awards.

Happy Motoring!!!

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