Information drive on traffic safety helping kids

CEBU, Philippines – In order to protect more children of Cebu from any unintentional injuries, most notably traffic-related, Safe Kids Philippines and the city is strengthening their alliance to look out for the welfare of the children.

Yesterday, officials of the SKP announced their accomplishment reports of the results of their programs in the past five years like the Walk This Way program which aims to institutionalize pedestrian education in affiliated elementary schools around the country.

SKP is a non-profit organization acting for the prevention of unintentional childhood injuries.

Dr. Rafael Consunji, president of SKP said that the program has helped more than 530,000 children in 89 schools in five cities in the country including Cebu.

Through the said program, the children were taught on pedestrian safety, traffic rules and dangers of the road.

Injuries of children in road mishaps are one of the major causes of the death of children, according to Consunji. He said that each year, 8,500 Filipino children lose their lives to accidental injuries with 3,600 of those happening in the roads. 

Also, the Walk This Way program has helped in the putting of road signs and walkways and also on the removal of physical hazards to child pedestrians.

Along with SKP, Federal Express Corporation is also hand-in-hand with the group in order to educate stakeholders, enforce road regulations and having safer environments for the children.

Aside from Cebu, the programs of the groups were also implemented in four other cities, namely Parañaque, Pasay, Olangapo and Quezon.

Consunji also showed the results of the pre-test surveys they used to help recognize the information that the students know of pedestrian safety prior to the programs conducted by SKP.

After which, post-tests were also made to help assess the knowledge of the students on safety and lessons they have acquired through the program.

Consunji shared that lowest level of baseline knowledge was on proper crossing behavior with 25 percent and also on street sign identification with 14 percent.

However, post test showed that these were also where students learned more on after the program.

In the SKP survey, a 36 percentage of those who took it were already pedestrian victims or have had road-related injuries.

Also, Consunji said that two- and three-wheeled vehicles were the most common vehicles that struck child pedestrians. Bicycles registered 46 percent, motor cycles with 14 percent, pedicabs with 13 percent and tricycles with 11 percent.

The pre- and post-tests was done one Grade five students in 37 elementary schools in the five cities.

Conclusions of the group showed that “there are glaring inadequacies in the basic knowledge of safe pedestrian behavior among the schools and the cities and showed that it could be corrected through classroom based teaching session on the program.”

Consunji said that they wish to extend their efforts so that more children could be safer.

Cebu City First Lady Margot Osmeña, the chairwoman of the Cebu City Task force on Street Children, said that they are accepting the challenge of the SKP and is determined to help the children assuring that Cebu City is a “Child- Friendly” city.

Osmeña said that through the help of the teachers and principals, especially of the Department of Education and also the barangay officials, more children would be protected.

“When we think of a child, it is about safety. It is automatic,” Osmeña added.

The Cebu visit of SKP is part of the National Safe Kids Week celebration which is on its fifth year. This is annually celebrated by FedEx employees, SKP, students, teachers, and representatives from the local and national government.

Also during the activity, FedEx and SKP donated safety vests to local traffic enforcers to help in the city’s effort in keeping the roads safe for children.

The two groups also gave the visual aids to Cebu City Coalition members for their classroom activities. — AJ de la Torre/BRP (THE FREEMAN)