Metro Manila cities support Decade of Action for Road Safety anniversary via relay run

MANILA, Philippines - Metro Manila cities actively supported the 1st year Anniversary of the Decade of Action for Road Safety held at the Quezon Memorial Circle last May 13 via the 2nd Toyota-Auto Review relay run.

The symbolic run, organized for the first time last year to coincide with the launch of the Decade of Action, gathered runners from the various cities in the Metro, the Philippine Coast Guard, the National Capital Region Police Office, the Philippine National Police and other stakeholders like Shell Pilipinas, Toyota Motor Philippines and many others.

The run started at Kilometer 0 in Luneta, Manila then cruised with an average pace of 10 kph along Roxas Blvd, traversed EDSA with relay stations in Heritage Hotel in Pasay, Shell Estrella in Makati near MMDA office, Teleperformance in Greenfield, Mandaluyong, Camp Aguinaldo in Q.C., before finally converging in QMC together with other simultaneous activities like bikathons, a motorbike rally, a memorial run and a walkathon.

Each relay station situated in different points in Metro Manila was represented by city representatives, administrators, councilors, vice mayors and mayors who all took oath in taking responsibility and care of their own municipal roads and its road users.

Acting Malabon Vice Mayor Diosdado Cunanan, for instance, pledged his city’s support with a symbolic turnover of their city flag to the relay ceremonies and assured their obligation with the words:

“I humbly and faithfully turn over the City’s flag as a symbol of the renewal of our sincere commitment to promote a culture of road safety and courtesy to the constituents of our beloved city.”

Malabon’s former Vice Mayor Arnold Vicencio recently died in a motorcycle accident last March 2012.

Each city submitted its own traffic accident report coinciding with the aim of the Decade Action for Road Safety Philippines to lower traffic accidents nationwide by 50 percent by 2020.

The relay run was organized by Visions in Action Ent, Inc. in partnership with the Department of Transportation and Communications, the Philippine Global Road Safety Partnership, Metro Manila Development Authority, Philippine National Police (PNP), the LGUs, QC Department of Public Order & Safety and the Automobile Association of the Philippines.

Visions in Action Ent. Inc. is a staunch advocate of road safety particularly with the Auto Review Run for Road Safety and Courtesy which started in 2004 by motoring columnist, Auto Review TV host and Radyo Singko Aksyon Sports anchor Ron de los Reyes.

The presence of representatives of all 16 cities in the metropolis together with advocacy proponents Metro Manila Development Authority, the PNP, Philippine Coast Guard and others from the government, private sector and NGOs provided the much-needed boost as the second year of the Decade of Action continues to move on with more conviction and a renewed commitment on a more massive scale.