Subic to promote children’s road safety

MANILA, Philippines - Soon to rise at the Subic Bay Freeport is the Children’s Road Safety Park which recently broke ground as part of the first Asia-Pacific Drive Tourism Conference, Auto and Travel Show.

Located at the Triboa Bay area, the park is a joint undertaking of the Department of Tourism (DOT), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) which aims to inculcate road courtesy and safety among children.

The freeport has been chosen as pilot area for this undertaking because of the strict enforcement of traffic rules and regulations inside this gated community, as well as its good road network.

A comprehensive pilot project, it is envisioned to be replicated in various regions across the archipelago. It can also be an ideal destination for educational field trips for elementary students.

Leading the ground-breaking ceremonies were Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr., Federacion Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) president Jean Todt, SBMA chairman Roberto Garcia, AAP president Augusto Lagman, International School for Sustainable Tourism (ISST) president Mina Gabor and FIA Region 2 president Ross Heron.

The time capsule contained a manifesto supporting the United Nations Workplan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 signed by the project proponents, and visiting transportation and tourism officials from Bhutan, Nepal, Palau, Cambodia and Maldives. The decade-long workplan aims to reduce road accidents and prevent loss of lives, especially in Third World nations.

The project proponents cited that good and safe roads are key to the development of drive tourism as a new program in the Philippines.

The event also served as the relaunch of Subic as a MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) destination because of its tourist facilities and infrastructure.