Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. __7955

Introduced By Representative ALLAN BENEDICT S. REYES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Road traffic injuries are a global health and development problem. * According to Dr.
Margaret Chan, former World Health Organization ("WHO") Director General, “More than 1.2
million people die in the world’s roads every year, and as many as 50 million others are
injured.” In the Philippines, there was a huge jump in the number of people who died in road
crashes between 2006 and 2015 — from 6,869 to 10,012 — or a 45.76% increase. * Worse,
“this percentage is said to have been steadily growing through the years.*

Human factor plays a critical role in the occurrence of road traffic injuries. The behavior
of pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists is a human factor that must be improved in order
to prevent these accidents. For this purpose, the Philippines needs to have an
institutionalized approach to educate the public, starting with our youth, about traffic and road
safety principles. This can be done by incorporating in the curricula of all high schools, both
public and private, road traffic safety education programs.®

For this purpose, best practices and instruction materials can be adopted from other
initiatives. For instance, the University of the Philippines National Center for Transportation
Studies ("UP-NCTS") has already prepared a traffic education module which can be adopted
by the Commission on Higher Education (“CHED"). ® In 2008, the UP Traffic Safety Model
Zone also launched a campaign on road traffic safety to improve public awareness, education
and discipline among motorists, pedestrians and traffic enforcers. if

1 World Health Organization, Global Status Report on Road Safety as cited in Road Safety 101 for students and drivers:
starting them young available at hitps:/ /swww.worldonline,com/road-safety-101-for-sudents-and-drivers-staring-
them-zoung/ (ast accessed 31 October 2020)

2 Agbayani, Susan Claire, Road Safety 101 for students and drivers: starting them young available at

com/road-safety-101-for drivers em-young/ (last accessed 31

October 2021).
ld

Id
Id
Jimeno, Karen, Beyond driving school Mandatory traffic education in high school available at

education-high-school (last accessed 31 October 2020).
7

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Ultimately, through this institutional and preventive approach to address road injuries,
the public in general will become more responsible road users with increased awareness that
the issues of traffic and traffic accidents are also vital to their own health and safety.

In view of the foregoing, passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

[ma

HON. ALLAN BENEDICT S. reves YI
Representative
3 District, Quezon City

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. __7955

Introduced By Representative ALLAN BENEDICT S. REYES

AN ACT MANDATING ALL HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE PHILIPPINES TO INCORPORATE
ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY EDUCATION IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CURRICULA

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in

Congress assembled
1 SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Road Safety Education
2 Act of 2020.”
3
4 SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - Section 4(1) of Article XIV of the 1987
5 Constitution affirms the State's recognition of the complementary roles of public and
6 _ private institutions in the educational system of the country. It likewise empowers the State
7 to exercise reasonable supervision and regulation of all educational institutions. Section
8 — 2(1) thereof also mandates the establishment, maintenance, and support by the State to
9 acomplete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the
10 people and society.
11
12 SECTION 3. Coverage. - This Act shall cover all high schools in the Philippines,
13 both public and private.
14
15 SECTION 4. Development of instruction Materials and Modules. — The Department
16 of Education (‘DEPED"), in coordination with the Department of Transportation (‘DOTr),
17 __ the Land Transportation Office ("LTO"), representatives of public and Private high schools
18 and other stakeholders, shall study best practices from other Countries and develop
19 _ instruction materials and modules on road traffic safety for integration in the national high
20 school curriculum.
21
22 SECTION 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from
23 the promulgation of this Act, the necessary rules and regulations for the proper
24 implementation of its provisions shall be formulated by the appropriate government office
25 or agency in coordination with all the stakeholders and covered institutions.
26
27 SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. — All laws, executive orders, administrative orders,
28 rules, regulations, decrees, and other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent
29 with the provisions of this Act are hereby revoked, repealed, or modified accordingly.
30
31 SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - if any provision of this Act is held
32 unconstitutional or invalid, the other Provisions not affected thereby shall continue in

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Nouewnn

‘operation and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 8. Effectivity Clause.
its publication the Official Gazette or
circulation.

Approved,

~ This Act shall take effect fifteen (1 5) days after
in the two (2) national Newspaper of general

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