On 2 July 2025, the Institute of Civil Engineering (ICE) at the University of the Philippines Diliman hosted a lecture and hands-on workshop on road safety and school zone risk assessment. The activity was conducted as part of ICE’s Science Immersion Program for selected students from the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) system. Twenty (20) students from six (6) different PSHS campuses participated in the day-long event held at ICE, Quezon City.
The event began with a lecture on road safety delivered by Dr. Jose Regin Regidor, Director of the Institute of Civil Engineering (ICE) and a research fellow at the National Center for Transportation Studies (NCTS). Following this, NCTS Research and Extension Professionals Mr. Glenn Latonero and Mr. Sahid Kamid led an orientation and interactive exercise on the use of iRAP’s (International Road Assessment Programme) Star Rating for Schools (SR4S) tool. Students used the SR4S web application to perform virtual assessments of their respective school campuses, focusing on critical locations such as main entrances and nearby crossings. They applied SR4S methodologies to generate star ratings and identify potential improvements to enhance road safety for their school communities.
The students’ assessments revealed key insights into pedestrian infrastructure and traffic exposure risks. Through their reports, they recommended evidence-based interventions such as speed reduction measures, better signage, and safer crossing designs. The activity not only allowed students to engage with real-world tools but also empowered them to become advocates for safer school zones.
