The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Monday, Dec. 18, said multi-sector efforts were needed to concentrate on creating and implementing interventions for road users, particularly children.

"The goal is for road safety measures to become integral component of different policy agendas such as child health, climate action, gender and equality," DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said.

The DOTr signed a memorandum to establish the National Coalition on Child Road Traffic Injury Prevention (NCCRTIP) and launched the 2023 Global Status Report on Road Safety (GSRRS).

Bautista said their agency would be useful in instilling the necessity of protecting children by making them aware of the death and injury caused by road crashes.

"We should re-focus our efforts at reducing road crashes whose socio-economic impact is far too disturbing," the DOTr Secretary said.

According to the 2023 GSRRS, over 12,000 Filipinos from 2015 to 2019 died due to road traffic crashes, making it part of the top ten main causes of death among children aged 5 to 14 years old.