Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — With over 300 people dying every day on Philippine roads, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) stressed the need to seek justice for victims of road-related crashes.
During the first Road Safety Symposium of the DOTr on Tuesday, Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista noted that around 12,000 Filipinos die every year due to road crashes, even when “road-related injuries and deaths can be prevented.”
“We should not diminish the importance of attaining justice for victims of road crashes and seeking peace for the families left behind,” Bautista said.
Bautista also called for a “multisectoral approach” to reduce the number of road crashes in the country.
The symposium was part of the National Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Survivors and their Families, as mandated by Republic Act No. 11468.
Under the law, the national day of remembrance is held every third Sunday of November of each year.
DOTr Undersecretary Mark Steven Pastor said that the “stark numbers” on road crashes “is the reason why a law was passed not only to commemorate the deaths and injuries” sustained by victims, but “also to find ways on how to move forward” and reduce these numbers.
“It is up to the government of course to have policies and programs that will further improve the transportation system in the country and reduce road crashes,” Pastor said.