The Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC), through its Public Health Unit, successfully held the second day of its Road Safety Week 2026 learning engagement on May 19, 2026, at the POC APEX Conference Room.
Anchored on the theme “Safe Roads, Choose Green: Sustainable Paths for Every Juan,” the activity highlighted POC’s continuing commitment not only to treating victims of vehicular crashes, but also to promoting prevention, road safety awareness, and sustainable transport practices among its workforce and the wider community.
As a specialized government hospital that regularly attends to patients injured in road crashes, POC recognizes that road safety is a public health concern. The event brought together experts from the transport, traffic management, and academic sectors to discuss how safer roads, responsible road use, and efficient emergency response can help save lives and reduce long-term disability.
The learning session featured distinguished resource persons, including MMDA Director Edison “Bong” Nebrija, together with Mr. Daniel E. Estefanio and Mr. Daniel D. Ferrer from the Transportation and Traffic Management Department of Quezon City.
Representing the University of the Philippines National Center for Transportation Studies (UP NCTS), EnP. Jerome N. Ballarta served as one of the key resource speakers and delivered a presentation titled “Road Safety and Orthopedics: From Crash Data to Saving Lives.”
In his presentation, EnP. Ballarta emphasized that road crashes are not only transport and enforcement issues, but also serious public health concerns. He discussed the global and local road safety situation, the Safe System Approach, and the strategic directions of the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan and the Metro Manila Road Safety Action Plan. He also highlighted the strong connection between road safety management and post-crash response, especially in reducing deaths and preventing long-term orthopedic disability.
The activity served as an important reminder that safer roads require the shared commitment of hospitals, transport agencies, traffic enforcers, researchers, policymakers, and communities.
Together, we can help build safer, healthier, and greener roads for every Juan.
