EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHIUPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No. 
8 5 0
^cuai.'
o( tt)c ^ r ir t t a r p
'19 
AUG -1  
P 2 ^ ) 2
RECEiV l-L' S '
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE CREATION OF THE PHILIPPINE ROAD SAFETY
INSTITUTE UNDER THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 
NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSPORT STUDIES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Road safety is a problem in the country, especially in highly urbanized areas. It 
is considered a public health issue, having contributed significantly to the mortality 
rate. According to World Health Organization, pedestrians make up 19% of road 
deaths in the Philippines.1 Road crash incidents are caused by driver error, defective 
vehicle condition and bad road condition. The Department of Transportation and 
Communication (DOTC), now Department of Transportation (DOTr), reported that 
fatalities due to road crashes increase by almost 14.6% each year. With this data, it is 
estimated that by 2020, about 300,000 will die annually due to road mishap without 
any intervention.2
In 2003, the DOTC (now DOTr) developed the Philippine Road Safety Action 
Plan (PRSAP). The PRSAP aims to reduce road death rates. The institutional support 
for the PRSAP requires that the Department establish a clear delineation of 
responsibilities among all stakeholders, with adequate technical and financial 
support in managing road safety activities; and to harmonize these activities towards 
an integrated and well-coordinated national road safety action plan and its program 
implementation. DOTC coordinates road safety by virtue of Administrative Order No. 
184 in 2007. Meanwhile, the DOTr has taken over for the 2017-2022 plan.
1 World Health Organization. Global status report on road safety 2015. Retrieved from 
http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2015/en/. Accessed 22 April 2019
2 DOTC Assistance Secretary Dante Lantin. Road Safety in the Philippines Country Report. Presented during an 
Expert Group Meeting in South Korea, May 8-10, 2013. Retrieved from 
https://www.unescap.0rg/sites/default/files/2.i9.Philippines.pdf. Accessed 22 April 2019


At present, some of the programs of DOTr include the Data for Road Incident 
Visualization, Evaluation, and Reporting (DRIVER) System, promoting the Bus 
Rapid Transit (BRT) System, BRT Accessibility Infrastructure and Urban 
Development in some urban centers, and Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization.
In other countries, there are established road safety institutes to promote road 
safety -  by providing trainings, piloting scientific research and regularly conducting 
road safety assessments/data gathering, and policy research and development. The 
same is proposed in this legislation in order to address the road safety issues 
currently faced. While there are many programs implemented now that are able to 
contribute to transportation management and road management, and even road 
safety, what is proposed here is a center/institute that will look closely in the road 
safety aspect.
In the Philippines, the University of the Philippines National Center for 
Transportation Studies (UP NCTS) has the competency and knowledge in the field of 
transportation studies. Among their advocacies are sustainable transport, integrated 
transport system, road safety, and institutional development.
This bill creates the Philippine Road Safety Institute (PRSI) under the UP 
NCTS, an institute specializing on the transport sector which will have the proper 
mandate and funding to regularly provide technical advice on road safety in support 
of government programs and initiatives.
The PSRI mandate shall cover all aspects of road safety situation in the 
country, which shall include regularly collecting data pertinent to road safety, 
developing road safety policy framework, 
recommending legislation and 
promulgation of necessary rules and orders, and standards to be adopted by 
government agencies, among others, and develop road safety annual reports and 
related study.3
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought.
El LA M. DE LIMA
3 Presentation: Philippine Road Safety Action Plan (PRSAP) 2011-2020. Retrieved from 
http://www.who.int/roadsafety/decade_of_action/plan/plan_philippines.pdf. Accessed 22 April 2019


#
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. No. 850
of tl)f ftrrrftarp
•19 
AUG-1 
P 2  0 2
RECEiV l D o'-
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE CREATION OF THE PHILIPPINE ROAD SAFETY 
INSTITUTE UNDER THE U.P. NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSPORT
STUDIES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section i. Short Title. -  This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Road
2 
Safety Institute Act of 2019.”
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. -  It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
4 
improve road safety and to protect pedestrians and motorists in our streets, towards
5 
the greater goal of national economic and social development. It shall also be the
6 
policy of the State to establish information systems that will provide data to ensure
7 
the proper research, planning and development of road safety programs.
8 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. -
9 
(a) Public roads -  refer to roads designed by the national government or local
10 
government units as roads for public use such as, but not limited to,
11 
national highways, provincial roads, city, municipal and barangay streets;
12 
and
13 
(b) Road Safety -  refers to methods and measures for reducing the risk of a
14 
person using the public roads or road networks being killed or seriously
15 
injured.
16 
Sec. 4. The Philippine Road Safety Institute. -  There is hereby established a
17 
body to be known as the Philippine Road Safety Institute (PRSI). The PRSI shall be
18 
attached to the University of the Philippines National Center for Transport Studies


1 
(UP NCTS). Its principal flag office shall be Metro Manila, but it may establish other
2 
branches or offices elsewhere in the Philippines as may be necessary or proper for
3 
the accomplishment of its purposes and objectives.
4 
Sec. 5. Powers and Functions. -  The PRSI shall have the following powers and
5 
functions:
6 
(a) To plan and carry out research and development activities as a center of
7 
knowledge and services in the area of road and traffic safety (road safety
8 
data collection);
9 
(b) To provide the data base policy formulation that will improve the national
10 
road safety status of the country;
11 
(c) To organize and develop continuing training programs for transportation
12 
planners, urban planners, traffic enforcers, emergency responders and
13 
other professional workers and students, pertaining to road traffic safety;
14 
(d) To formulate policies that would create public awareness through
15 
educational activities, conventions, seminars, conferences, and the like by
16 
focusing on the promotion of road safety;
17 
(e)To receive and acquire from any person and/or government and private
18 
entities, whether foreign or domestic, grants, donations and contributions
19 
consisting of such properties, real or personal, including funds and
20 
valuable effects or things, as may be useful, necessary or proper to carry
21 
out its purposes and objectives and administer the same in accordance
22 
with the terms of such grants, donations and contributions, consistent with
23 
its purposes and objectives; and
24 
(f) To exercise such other powers and functions, and perform other acts as
25 
may be necessary, proper or incidental to the attainment of its purposes
26 
and objectives.
27 
Sec. 6. Board of Trustees. -  The governance and policy direction of the PRSI
28 
shall be vested in, and its powers exercised by, a Board of Trustees, which shall be
29 
composed of eleven members, as follows:
30 
(a) The Secretary of DOTr, as Chairman;
31 
(b) The Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways;
32 
(c) The Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government;


1 
(d)The Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications
2 
Technology;
3 
(e) The Chief of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group;
4 
(f) The Chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority;
5 
(g) The Chair of the Land Transportation Office;
6 
(h) The Executive Director of UP NCTS;
7 
(i) The Secretary-General or authorized representative of the Philippine
8 
Global Road Safety Partnership; and
9 
(j) A representative from the private sector.
10 
A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the
11 
transaction of the business of the Board.
12 
Sec. 7. Functions and Responsibilities of the Board. -  The Board shall have
13 
the following functions:
14 
(a) To formulate and adopt policies and measures for the management and
15 
operation of the Institute;
16 
(b) To approve the staffing pattern of the PRSI;
17 
(c) To promulgate the rules and regulations for the discharge of its powers and
18 
functions and the internal operations of the PRSI; Provided, That the
19 
Chairman of the Board of Trustees shall exercise the power to appoint,
20 
promote, discipline or remove the personnel of the PRSI;
21 
(d)To manage the financial affairs of the PRSI and approve an annual budget
22 
of receipts and expenditures of the PRSI according to its requirements; and
23 
(e) To monitor and review periodically the programs and projects of the PRSI.
24 
Sec. 8. President of the Institute. -  The Director of the UP NCTS shall
25 
concurrently be the President of the PRSI. The President shall be the chief executive
26 
officer of the Institute and shall receive such salary and remuneration as may be
27 
determined by the Board. She/he shall have the following powers and duties:
28 
(a) To prepare, for the approval of the Board, the staffing pattern of the PRSI
29 
which shall include the determination of the qualifications, and fixing the
30 
number and compensation of such officials and personnel as may be
31 
necessary for the proper discharge of the functions of the PRSI;


1 
(b) To have control and supervision over the personnel, staff, operations and
2 
internal administration of the PRSI in accordance with existing laws and
3 
the rules and regulations promulgated by the Board of Trustees;
4 
(c) To recommend to the Board of Trustees such policies and measures which
5 
she/he deems necessary for the effective exercise and discharge of the
6 
powers and responsibilities of the PRSI; and
7 
(d) To submit an annual report to the Board of Trustees on the operations, the
8 
status of the programs funded by, and the financial condition of, the PRSI,
9 
including a recommendation for its budget for the ensuing year.
10 
Sec. 9- Fees of Research Fellows and Associates. -  The PRSI is hereby
11 
authorized to engage researchers and other professional staff from other government
12 
offices and agencies to conduct specialized studies and researches for the PRSI.
13 
Those so engaged by the PRSI shall be issued appointments as Research Fellows or
14 
Research Associates and shall be paid, as they are hereby authorized to be paid, such
15 
fees as determined by the Board in addition to whatever compensation or
16 
emoluments they are receiving in their respective mother offices of agencies.
17 
Sec. 10. Government Coordination. -  The PRSI shall assist, cooperate and
18 
coordinate with other government agencies, for the implementation of the purposes
19 
and objectives of this Act.
20 
Sec. 11. Appropriations. -  The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of
21 
this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its
22 
enactment in to law and thereafter.
23 
Sec. 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -  Within thirty (30) days from
24 
the completion of their appointments, the Board shall convene and, in collaboration
25 
with the UP NCTS, formulate the rules and regulations necessary for the
26 
implementation of this Act. Said rules and regulations shall be issued within one
27 
hundred eighty (180) days from the date of the Board’s initial meeting and shall take
28 
effect upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
29 
Sec. 13. Repealing Clause. -  All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees,
30 
presidential proclamations, letters of instruction, rules and regulations or parts
31 
thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or
32 
modified accordingly.


1 
Sec. 14. Separability Clause. -  If any provision of this Act is declared
2 
unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof not affected thereby
3 
shall continue to be in full force and effect.
4 
Sec. 15. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
5 
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in
6 
the Philippines.
Approved,