The Land Transportation Office-National Capital Region’s (LTO-NCR) efforts to educate the public on road safety and improve comfort with land transport made significant progress in 2024, marked by a 118 percent increase in the number of road safety seminars conducted by the region.

According to LTO-NCR regional director Roque Verzosa III, the LTO-NCR conducted 61 road safety seminars in 2024, compared to 28 in 2023.

The total number of participants in the 2024 road safety seminars, organized through the efforts of the Office of the Regional Director-Regional Law Enforcement Section-Traffic Safety Unit (ORD-RLES-TSU), headed by Rocielyn Villaruel, saw a 162 percent increase compared to 2023, reaching 4,489 participants, up from 1,712 the previous year.

The main contributors to the increase in road safety seminars were seminars conducted for 650 senior high school students at Rizal National High School in Pasig City on 26 and 29 February 2024; the online seminar for 351 employees/staff of Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium in Caloocan City last 5 June 2024; and a seminar at the Philippine Coast Guard (Parola) for 110 participants on 12 July 2024.

It also included a seminar at 1 Aviation, Airline Operations Center, Domestic Road, Pasay City, for 194 participants on 27 August 2024; a seminar at the Social Security Service (first batch) for 155 participants on 12 November 2024; the Social Security Service (second batch) for 190 participants on 13 November 2024; and a seminar at the Social Security Service (third batch) for another 190 participants on 19 November 2024.

Verzosa also disclosed that the deputation seminar conducted by the region in 2024 saw a 6 percent increase in the number of participants compared to 2023 (194 in 2024 vs. 183 in 2023).

Meanwhile, attendees of the refresher/retooling course surged to 226 in 2024, up from 69 in 2023.

The conductor theoretical course at PITX was also conducted in 2024, with 1,425 participants, along with other trainings that had 47 participants.

“These seminars, including the refresher and conductor theoretical course, along with other trainings, are part of LTO’s commitment to public service and align with LTO-NCR’s advocacy of educating the public on road safety fundamentals,” Verzosa said.

He added that the activities were done under the guidance of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and LTO chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II.