Batangas City, August 29, 2025 – Road safety is more than just following traffic rules and regulations. It is about protecting lives and strengthening communities. Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI), through its BiyaHERO Program: Road Safety for Community, recently brought together 63 dedicated volunteers from TALIM barangays for a Road Safety Training aimed at equipping them with the knowledge and skills to champion safer roads in their localities.
Shared Responsibility for Safer Roads
Participants represented different community sectors including the School Governing Council, volunteers from Brgy. Ambulong, and the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) of San Isidro, Libjo, Malitam, Tabangao Aplaya, and San Isidro. Their participation underscored the shared responsibility of parents, educators, and local leaders in fostering a culture of safety, especially for children and youth.
The training was facilitated by Mr. Cris Banaag, Operations Team Leader of the Batangas City Traffic Development Regulatory Office (TDRO). He provided an in-depth discussion of Republic Act No. 4136, the Land Transportation and Traffic Code of the Philippines, as well as the Batangas City Traffic Ordinance of 2020, ensuring that participants understood both national and local laws governing road use.
Mr. Banaag expressed appreciation for the initiative, saying:
Kami po ay nagpapasalamat sa patuloy na pagsuporta ng Shell sa mga ganitong gawain lalo na sa pagpapaabot ng tamang impormasyon sa ating komunidad. Matagal na din po ang partnership natin with Shell at marami na din po tayong napagtulungang inisyatibo. Sana po ay magpatuloy pa ito.
— Mr. Cris Banaag, Operations Team Leader, Batangas City TDRO
Learning with Impact
PSFI reinforced the training by connecting participants with agencies such as TDRO, ensuring that learning would not end after the session but would be sustained through continuous guidance and partnerships.
One of the most heartfelt reflections came from Mariane Balasta, PTA President of Libjo Elementary School:
Bilang isa sa mga kalahok sa isinagawang seminar tungkol sa Road Safety, nais kong ipahayag ang aking pasasalamat at pagkilala sa kahalagahan ng mga kaalamang aking natutunan… Napagtanto ko na ang simpleng pagsusuot ng helmet at seatbelt ay maaaring makapagsalba ng buhay… Ang kaligtasan sa kalsada ay hindi lamang tungkulin ng mga awtoridad kundi responsibilidad ng bawat isa. Kaya’t ako ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sapagkat ang kaalamang ito ay tiyak na magagamit ko hindi lamang para sa aking sarili kundi para rin sa kapakanan ng aking kapwa.
— Mariane Balasta, PTA President, Libjo Elementary School
A Community Need
The importance of BiyaHERO was highlighted by the Community Profiling and Needs Assessment of TALIM barangays conducted by Batangas State University in 2021 with Shell’s support. The study revealed that road safety ranked as the 5th most urgent community concern in TALIM communities, making initiatives like this both timely and necessary.
Next Steps: From Volunteers to Mentors
The newly trained participants will serve as BiyaHERO Mentors under the guidance of TDRO. They will conduct Road Safety “Re-echo” sessions in their own barangays to cascade the lessons they learned, ensuring that families, schools, and neighborhoods benefit from the training.
PSFI Program Officer Pete Javier shared his gratitude:
Kami po ay nagpapasalamat sa mga sumuporta at dumalo sa training na ito. Asahan ninyo po na gagampanan namin ang aming parte para sa ikabubuti ng ating komunidad at kaligtasan ng ating mga road users.
— Pete Javier, Program Officer, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc.
A Collective Journey
The training also created a platform for dialogue, allowing volunteers to raise concerns on local traffic issues and explore community-driven solutions. With empowered volunteers now ready to cascade their knowledge, BiyaHERO strengthens the belief that road safety is not the responsibility of a few but a collective journey.
As the BiyaHERO Program continues to expand in Batangas and beyond, PSFI envisions more communities stepping up as advocates of road safety. When people come together for a common cause, safer journeys become possible for all.
