DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING
Parent celebrities, lawmakers urge support for the Child Car Seat Law
Local artist-singer and TV host, Jolina Magdangal, expressed her support in the signing of Republic Act No. 11229, otherwise known as the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Law, during a press conference organized by the Department of Transportation together with IDEALS Inc. and the Philippine Road Safety Coalition on March 19.
Understanding the value of child restraints in vehicles, Jolina urged parents to invest in car seats saying “money is something replaceable we can earn and work hard for after it is gone, but the life of our children is far more precious, it is irreplaceable.”
The actress recalled her family’s experience of being in a car crash a few years ago when a passenger-van driver dozed off on the wheel and crashed onto their car.
She suffered from cuts and bruises but her son, Pele, was unhurt and unfazed, “I believe the car seat did much on saving his life. That’s why I believe this law is important,” she said.
Her husband, Mark Escueta, further recounted the story emphasizing how the child restraint system saying “thank God nothing happened to Pele. He’s always in his car seat and he always wears a seatbelt when we travel. He did not even cry.”
Photo during the Press Conference of Keep Kids Safe 2019 (by Charlie Saceda)
Another local celebrity, parent Isabelle Daza-Semblat, voiced in one interview that “if we, ourselves wear seatbelts in the car, why shouldn’t our child be in a car seat so they’ll be protected and safe.”
In an Instagram post, Iya Villana also persuades other parents to use car seats.
Her posts read: “Future mommas and poppys, you don’t want to figure this stuff out when the baby is here! I know car seats are a bit of a hassle and many get away without using one here, but safety is a priority when it comes to my baby!”
From left to Right: DOTR Usec Mark de Leon, Jolina Magdangal, Atty. Tony Salvarod of IDEALS and Doc John Juilliard Go of WHO PH during the Press Conference Keep Kids Safe 2019 (by Charlie Saceda)
Other than our celebrity parents, the road safety champion in the senate says that the urgent need to protect children on the road was what initiated the advocacy that led to the signing of the CRS law.
“As a father and road safety advocate, we have authored and sponsored this law in the Senate so we can provide better protection to infants and young children traveling inside a motor vehicle from deaths and serious injuries caused by road crashes and traffic-related incidents,” Senator JV Ejercito explained.
Senator JV Ejercito during the World Day of Remembrance Photo Exhibit In 2018 (by: Klaire Ting)
He noted that this law is part of a bigger picture to make Philippine roads safe for motorists and pedestrians, especially children.
“We all want our kids to be safe at all times. And since road crashes are unpredictable, it pays to be proactive. It is also my hope that this measure will bring attention to the bigger problem of road safety in our country: over-speeding, drunk and distracted driving, and lack of discipline,” Senator Ejercito expressed.