Biel Jose Catipon

To curb the rising number of accidents, the Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators ng Pilipinas (LTOP) has encouraged the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to include road safety education in their curricula, aiming promote commuter discipline, on Tuesday, April 8.

Photo Courtesy of SecretPH.

In a press conference in Quezon City, LTOP Executive Vice President Leonard Bautista highlighted the need to educate students and commuters on road signs and safety to instill discipline as they mature.

“Isa sa sinasabi namin na sana maimprove at maisama sa curriculum ng TESDA, DepEd yung ating road safety kasi kailangan kahit yung mga ordinaryong estudyante at mananakay ay malaman yung mga road signs at road safety para kahit papano pag naging matured na sila, sila mismo disiplinado na din,” said Bautista 

He emphasized that not only motorists, but also the public, should be literate about road signs and safety measures.

The group leader then cited the growing concerns over modern jeepneys competing for passengers due to the lack of proper loading and unloading zones.

“Kailangan yung disiplina magsisimula sa mga mananakay,” Bautista added, underscoring the role of commuter discipline in improving the overall transport system. “Kung maayos natin yung mindset ng ating mga estudyante o mga mananakay, tuloy-tuloy pati mindset ng mga driver at sistema sa ating transportation."

LTOP recently launched the 2025 edition of its driver’s manual entitled “Pagbabago ng Pinoy Driver, Gabay sa Ligtas na Pagmamaneho” aligned with the “Bagong Pilipino” advocacy of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), road accidents have increased by up to 25% annually over the past decade, causing around 11,000 deaths each year, most of them are young people aged 15 to 29.