Stories of inspiration

BiyaHERO Program: Road Safety for Community Empowers Batangas Volunteers

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.

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.

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.

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.

Related stories:

Shell LiveWIRE Strengthens Fisherfolk Safety and Coastal Resilience in Cagayan de Oro

Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI), together with Shell Pilipinas Corporation, strengthened fisherfolk safety and coastal resilience in Cagayan de Oro through the turnover of protective and rescue equipment under the Shell LiveWIRE Philippines program. The initiative supports local fisherfolk organizations by enhancing emergency preparedness, improving safety during fishing operations, and helping sustain coastal livelihoods through community-centered development.

A Mother’s Determination: Building Hope Through Roots to Shoots

hrough the Roots to Shoots Program in Sacobia, Editha Salazar transformed a small livelihood assistance package into a growing sari-sari store that now helps support her family, her children’s education, and her child’s ongoing therapy, proving how opportunity and determination can create lasting change.

Shell LiveWIRE Empowers Cagayan de Oro Fisherfolk Through Sustainable Payao Deployment in Macajalar Bay

Shell LiveWIRE, through Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI) and Shell Pilipinas Corporation
, strengthens sustainable livelihoods in Cagayan de Oro City through the successful deployment of three payaos in Macajalar Bay, empowering local fisherfolk with safer and more sustainable fishing opportunities through community collaboration, capacity building, and responsible fisheries management.

Roots to Shoots: Pasacao 2.0 Helps Mothers Build Sustainable Livelihoods

Through the Roots to Shoots (RTS) Pasacao 2.0 Program and with the support of Metrobank Foundation, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI) officially opened the SONATA stitching and sewing production facility in Pasacao, Camarines Sur. The initiative aims to empower mothers and families by providing sustainable livelihood opportunities, technical skills training, and long-term enterprise development support for the community.

Roots to Shoots Empowers 37 Mothers and Caregivers Through Home Gardening Training in Sacobia

The Roots to Shoots (RTS) program trained 37 mothers, caregivers, and pregnant women in Sacobia in practical home gardening to support nutrition and food security. Through hands-on sessions and starter kits, participants learned how to grow their own vegetables using organic and climate-responsive techniques. The initiative empowers families to improve their diets while building resilience at the household level.

Chasing Zero: How PSFI and Partners are Turning the Tide Against Malaria

As the Philippines moves closer to eliminating malaria, a focused push in Palawan is driving the country’s final mile toward zero cases. Through the Global Fund Movement Against Malaria program, implemented by Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI) with national and local partners, significant gains have been achieved, including a 78% drop in indigenous cases in 2025 and zero reported deaths.

With 74 out of 82 provinces now malaria free, efforts are concentrated on reaching remote and underserved communities through targeted testing, treatment, and prevention strategies. Backed by strong partnerships and community driven approaches, the country is on track to achieve zero malaria in Palawan by 2026 and nationwide elimination by 2030.