The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is strengthening road safety enforcement and pushing broader reforms to reduce traffic-related deaths, with priority focus on pedestrians, cyclists, commuters, and other vulnerable road users.
Transportation Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Steven Pastor said the agency is working with transport regulators, lawmakers, industry groups, and road safety advocates to build a safer and more disciplined transport system.
Pastor said road crashes remain an urgent public safety concern, stressing that every preventable death on the road should prompt stronger government action.
“One life lost is too much. We need to stop it,” Pastor said.
The DOTr, together with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), is implementing measures under the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan 2023-2028.
The plan serves as the country’s road safety roadmap and follows the Global Plan for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety. It is built on five pillars: road safety management, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash response.
Among the ongoing measures is a review of the driver licensing system to ensure that only qualified, competent, and responsible motorists are allowed on the road.
Transport authorities are also tightening compliance with safety and maintenance standards for public utility vehicles, while pushing for stronger funding support for road safety programs.
Pastor said legislative backing is needed to ensure that road safety policies are properly funded and fully implemented.
The LTO said it has already adopted stricter enforcement and digital monitoring systems to improve accountability across the transport sector.
LTO Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao said the agency will continue sustained enforcement operations, intensified campaigns against colorum vehicles and road rage, and stronger action against reckless and dangerous driving.
The United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) also reaffirmed support for the Philippines’ road safety initiatives.
WHO Representative to the Philippines Dr. Eunyoung Ko said the UN system and WHO remain committed to helping the government and its partners build safer, healthier, more inclusive, and more sustainable mobility systems.