Safety Delivered Marks Milestone Expansion
To Deliver Helmet Safety To Students In The Philippines
On September 25, 2020, the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) in partnership with the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation held the official, first-ever program launch of Safety Delivered at the Mandaluyong Elementary School where over 856 helmets were distributed to students, parents and teachers.
Safety Delivered is supported by UPS and The UPS Foundation and implemented by the AIP Foundation in Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The program aims to reduce road crash injuries and fatalities among vulnerable motorcyclists by working with young drivers to improve their driving behaviors and by increasing child helmet use.
During the 2019-2020 program year, Safety Delivered aimed to distribute helmets to students and teachers in the Mandaluyong Elementary School which is located in a high=risk road traffic environment in Manila. Here, more than 50% of students travel to school on motorcycles, tricycles and bicycles, but only 28% of students were observed wearing helmets.
Mr. Chris Buono, Managing Director for UPS Philippines and Indonesia stated, “The UPS Foundation and AIP Foundation have worked together since 2011 to deliver life-saving road safety training and to promote the use of helmets among students and communities across Asia. This year, we are very proud to mark another major milestone in our partnered work with the expansion of our program to students and communities in the Philippines.”
The Safety Delivered launch event was attended by Department of Education Mandaluyong City Administrative Officer V Sherwin Magsombol, Mandaluyong Elementary School Principal Elvira Canilao and Mandaluyong Elementary School Project coordinator Tony Flores. AAP Advocacy Manager Cynthia Reyes together with the school officials expressed their shared commitment to improving the road safety of students in the community.
As students are preparing for the start of the school year, school administrators have taken precautionary measures by adapting the event. When parents arrived to collect the online learning resources, school administrators distributed helmets, along with a helmet safety tips booklet, for parents to take home to their child. Parents demonstrated that they equally share their commitment to ensure their child’s safety by signing a commitment letter vowing that their child will wear a helmet.
Dr. Romela M. Cruz, CESE, Superintendent of the Department of Education of Mandaluyong, stated, “In order to create a safer road culture and environment, it is critical for stakeholders to work together to educate road users of all ages. We must realize our roles as advocates for students and ensure that they have the road safety knowledge they need to make safer decisions for the rest of their lives. Education is the key to sustainably changing behaviors and we must help communities realize that wearing a helmet properly on the road can reduce cases of head injury by 69%.”
In addition to distributing helmets to students, AAP and AIP Foundation also conducted a training on Helmet Safety for 25 faculty members of the Mandaluyong Elementary School on December 8, 2020. Faculty and staff were oriented on the proper use of helmets especially while on the road, how to safely ride a motorcycle and a bicycle, and road safety knowledge and tips for parents.
Ms. Mirjam Sidik, AIP Foundation CEO, expressed, “It is very meaningful to expand our helmet safety programming to reach students and communities in the Philippines with the support of our partners. The expansion of our programs to the Philippines marks our commitment to promote positive health outcomes among vulnerable groups across the region. We look forward to working with local stakeholders on the ground to promote meaningful behavior change and by consistently encouraging all road users in the Philippines to wear helmets on the roads."
Mr. Gus Lagman, President of the Automobile Association Philippines, expressed enthusiasm for the program, stating, "As the largest and oldest automobile club in the Philippines, the Automobile Association Philippines has maintained a decades long commitment to the safety of road users across the country. We are excited to join in partnership with AIP Foundation for their Safety Delivered program to help support life-saving helmet interventions which will ensure that students can enjoy safer journeys to and from school.”
About Safety Delivered
Safety Delivered is supported by The UPS Foundation and implemented by AIP Foundation in Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The program aims to reduce road crash injuries and fatalities among vulnerable motorcyclists by working with young drivers to improve their driving behaviors and by increasing child helmet use.
About The UPS Foundation
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs. Founded in 1951, The UPS Foundation leads its global citizenship programs and is responsible for facilitating community involvement to local, national, and global communities. In 2018, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $114.9 million in charitable giving around the world. The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at UPS.com/Foundation and @UPS Foundation on Twitter. To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter. The company’s sustainability eNewsletter, UPS Horizons, can be found at ups.com/sustainabilitynewsletter.
About AIP Foundation
AIP Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing road injuries and fatalities in low- and middle-income countries. For more than 20 years, AIP Foundation has been delivering effective road safety programs in locations across Asia and Africa. To find out more, visit www.aip-foundation.org or connect with us on Twitter @AIPFoundation. For Media Contact: Gabby Cohen Communications Coordinator 74 Mac Dinh Chi Street, Da Kao Ward, District 1, 700000, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tel: (84-28) 6299 1409, ext. 128; Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Media Contact
Zody Tran Huynh, Communications Coordinator
AIP Foundation
74 Mac Dinh Chi Street, Da Kao Ward, District 1, 70000, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: (84-28) 6299 1409, ext. 128; Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Launching of the Safety Delivered program by the AIP Foundation on September 25, 2020 at the Mandaluyong Elementary School.
Department of Education Mandaluyong City Administrative Officer V Sherwin Magsombol and Mandaluyong Elementary School Principal Elvira Canilao gave AAP, represented by Advocacy Manager Cynthia Reyes, a Certificate of Appreciation for the program.
A volunteer from the Department of Education gives a parent a helmet and explains to him about the Safety Delivered program.
A parent is seen here signing the commitment letter.