MANILA, Philippines — December 8, 2020

While the pandemic has halted physical gatherings, that hasn’t stopped educators from Mandaluyong Elementary School in Manila from gaining the necessary road safety knowledge and skills required to keep their students safe. Through the Safety Delivered program, supported by The UPS Foundation, teachers and school administrators spent the day participating in an interactive online training via Zoom.

Principal, Mrs. Elvira R. Canilao, along with 25 teachers participated. The training included an overview of AIP Foundation, the current global and local road safety crisis, current legislation of child passenger law, the consequences of sub-standard helmets, an introduction to the Safety Delivered program and how educators are a key component to the safety of their students. Road safety and helmet use knowledge and skills were conducted through a series of interactive online activities including the use of Kahoot, an online teaching tool.

Following the session, participants joined in an open forum discussion about helmet use in the Philippines, specifically why people, especially students in schools, decide not to wear a helmet. The conversation gave key cultural insights including the financial inability to purchase helmets, lack of awareness of consequences if a helmet isn’t worn, and the social implication that not wearing a helmet may be perceived as bravery.

Although the use of helmets in two and three-wheeled motorcycles has proven to be an effective safety tool, reducing the risk of death by 42% and risk of severe head injury by 69%, helmet-wearing rates are still far too low and people are at-risk every single day. By participating in the Safety Delivered program, school administrators and educators will encourage students to wear helmets with the hopes of changing the helmet-wearing culture.

This training came after AIP Foundation organized a helmet handover ceremony at the end of September, which was adapted due to the pandemic situation in the Philippines. In addition to collecting textbooks, parents also signed a letter committing to their child’s helmet use.