Goodyear opens 2012 Bayani ng Kalsada nominations

MANILA, Philippines - When it comes to the subject of ‘Modern-Day Heroism,’ I think the last few years have sort of been like a renaissance period for it in the Philippines. Filipinos have finally warmed up to the idea that there indeed are many everyday heroes out there, and that perhaps it is high time that we at least started recognizing them, in the hopes that maybe we can inspire more people to become one themselves.

For Goodyear Philippines, they have been doing their share of regularly sifting through the circus of daily motorists, seeking to recognize the exceptional individuals, and it takes the form of their annual search for Goodyear’s Bayani ng Kalsada.

A corporate social program that was started back in 2006, it has since recognized hundreds of courageous acts of service and random acts of kindness from the hodgepodge of Filipino motorists on their daily commute. It is hence, the Philippine equivalent of Goodyear’s long-running annual program in the US and Canada, called ‘Highway Heroes’—a program that recognizes truck drivers who have demonstrated good deeds, courage, and sacrifice while on the road.

Until November 30, 2012, nominations for the 2012 Bayani ng Kalsada will be open to consumers, and nomination forms will be available at all Goodyear Servitek, Goodyear Autocare and TyrePro stores nationwide. Additionally, a dedicated search committee will also be actively on the lookout to catch the shining moments of such exceptional individuals all over the country.

Qualifications to be nominated as a Bayani ng Kalsada candidate are the following:

Nominee must be a Filipino citizen;

Nominee must have a valid driver’s license;

The incident demonstrating heroism took place in the Philippines;

The incident happened after July 2011;

The nominee was indeed driving a vehicle at the time of the incident;

The nominee’s vehicle is properly registered with the LTO;

There are witnesses who can vouch for the incident and the nominee.

After collecting all the nominations and putting them through a thorough screening process, the big winners will be selected by a panel of judges consisting of: transportation officials, media, private sponsor representatives and Goodyear representatives.

“We encourage our people to become responsible and cautious drivers,” said Goodyear marketing director Gibby Peñaflor. “Recognizing these road heroes helps us promote awareness for road safety and helps bring forth the important message that it is everyone’s responsibility,” he added.

The 2012 Bayani ng Kalsada program will honor five winners: one each from NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, plus one overall winner. The four regional winners will be awarded a cash prize of P30,000 while the overall winner will receive P50,000.

This year’s program is made possible through the cooperation of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Department of Transportation and Communication, the Automobile Association of the Philippines, the Safety Organization of the Philippines, Centro Negosyo, Petron and its media partners.

Who said that heroism is a thing of the past? The potential to become one, lies in every one of us. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to stand out as a hero in our stereotypically chaotic roads? As literary icon Benjamin Disraeli once said, “Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes.”

For more information about the Bayani ng Kalsada program and its mechanics, you may visit their facebook page “BayaniNgKalsada” or call their hotline: (632) 439-2005.