The University of the Philippines National Center for Transportation Studies (UP NCTS), in partnership with the International Academy for Continuous Education (IACE) and University of the Philippines National Center for Transportation Studies Foundation Inc. (UPNCTSFI), successfully conducted a Training Course on Road Safety Audit for officials from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport of the Government of Bhutan from April 6 to 10, 2026.
The five-day training course was organized to strengthen the participants’ knowledge and skills in road safety audit as a proactive and preventive approach to improving road infrastructure safety. It also formed part of the participants’ broader efforts to develop their own road safety audit manual and to help institutionalize road safety audit in Bhutan.
The program consisted of six modules and two workshops, combining lectures, discussions, and practical exercises to provide both conceptual understanding and hands-on application of road safety audit principles. Guided by the Road Safety Audit Guidelines of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the course emphasized the importance of systematically identifying safety issues in the planning, design, and operation of road projects, with the end in view of reducing risks for all road users.
Throughout the course, participants actively engaged in discussions and workshop activities that enabled them to identify potential road safety concerns and formulate corresponding recommendations for safer road infrastructure. The training also provided a valuable platform for knowledge exchange and professional learning between the Bhutan officials and experts from UP and the DPWH.
Serving as resource persons for the training were Dr. Jun T. Castro, Dr. Sandy Mae A. Gaspay, Engr. Aileen U. Mappala, Engr. Judith Tagle-Pagdatoon, Engr. Mathew Harvey Peralta, Engr. John Jowhell Villegas, Engr. Czar Manuel Rosuello, and Engr. Danyl Louie Blas, who shared their expertise and insights on road safety audit concepts, processes, and applications.
This initiative reflects UP NCTS’ continuing commitment to capacity building, road safety promotion, and international cooperation in transportation training and education. It also highlights the value of cross-country collaboration in supporting safer, more responsive, and more sustainable transport systems.
UP NCTS is honored to have supported the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport of the Government of Bhutan through this training initiative and looks forward to further opportunities for partnership in advancing road safety and transport development.
