This Father Is No Hero

Recently a father and his son were rammed by a truck in a horrible accident while they were on the way to fetch the man's live-in partner. While the two were flying through the air the father, in an act of quick thinking, tossed his son to the side of the road underneath a parked truck. This likely saved the boy's life. However, this father is no hero. Let's look at the story. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/628968/dads-last-act-saving-his-kid-after-truck-rams-motorcycle-from-behind

A 27-year-old father saved his three-year-old son from severe injury or death, but, unfortunately, he lost his life in doing so.

This was after their motorcycle was rammed from behind by a speeding dump truck, causing the victims to be thrown off the motorcycle and into the hard pavement. 

This happened at past 10 p.m. on March 20 in Sitio Tapuco, Barangay Pit-os, Cebu City.

It could have been a father’s instinct to protect his child, who then was riding in front of him in the motorcycle at the time of impact. This was because he instinctively grabbed the kid as they were thrown off the motorcycle.

Perhaps, sensing that it would be more dangerous for his son to land with him on the pavement in the middle of the road, according to the police report, the father as they were “sailing in the air,” then instinctively threw his child under a parked truck on the right lane of the road.

Witnesses said that the father was thrown a few meters more, landed on the hard pavement and then got hit at the side of the head by the front wheels of the dump truck, causing his death.

According to his relatives, the victim and his son did not wear any helmet because the place where they were going was just a few kilometers away from their home.

The man's three-year-old son was riding in front while wearing NO helmet because the father it was not needed since they were only traveling a short distance. What an idiot. You always wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle. It's a matter of safety and law. Also, three-year-olds are not allowed on motorcycles. Here is the law:

Section 4. Prohibition. – It shall be unlawful for any person to drive a two (2)-wheeled motorcycle with a child on board on public roads where there is heavy volume of vehicles, there is a high density of fast moving vehicles or where a speed limit of more than 60/kph is imposed, unless:

(a) The child passenger can comfortably reach his/her feet on the standard foot peg of the motorcycle;

(b) The child’s arms can reach around and grasp the waist of the motorcycle rider; and

(c) The child is wearing a standard protective helmet referred to under Republic Act No. 10054, otherwise known the "Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009."

https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2015/ra_10666_2015.html

This law should not be needed as it is a matter of safety to prohibit your three-year-old son from riding on your motorcycle especially without a helmet. Now this father is dead and his son is hurt. That is what you get for neglecting basic safety.

The police in a report said the speeding dump truck was then counter-flowing because the truck driver wanted to overtake another truck in front of the victim’s motorcycle and another vehicle.

The truck in front stopped because they were trying to pass the road without snagging a low-lying electric wire.

Police in a report said that after ramming the motorcycle of the father and the son, the dump truck continued on and collided with 3 more motorcycles on the opposite lane of the road.

Fortunately, the drivers and the passengers of the three motorcycles managed to jump off and escape being severely injured as the dump truck plowed through the motorcycles.

The erring truck driver, then got off his truck, after the collision and fled the area fearing for his life.

He later surrendered to a police station.

The dump truck who hit them was speeding and counter-flowing as he tired to overtake a truck in front of the motorcycle. The truck then stopped because of a low-lying electric wire which caused the dump truck to ram the motorcycle and three more motorcycles before he came to a stop and fled the scene.

Everything is there. Speeding, low-lying electric wires, and fleeing the scene. It's a nightmare scenario of bad driving that takes place every minute of the day on Philippine roads. And the PNP cannot be bothered to patrol the roads as they are required to do. Here is the law:

Sec. 35 (B) (8) Traffic Management Unit. – Headed by a Director with the rank of chief superintendent, the Traffic Management Unit shall enforce traffic laws and regulations.

https://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1990/ra_6975_1990.html

It's too bad the cops refuse to do their job of patrolling the roads. 

“Nagkuha ra gyod to siya sa iyang pares nga naghuwat sa may Pit-os nga gikan sa trabaho,” the victim’s mother told CDN Digital in an interview.

(He (the victim) was just fetching his live-in partner, who was waiting in a neighboring Barangay Pit-os, who had just got off work in the city.)

“Gida niya iyang bata para mosugat sa iyang mama, pero wa na sila nakaabot didto kay nadisgrasya naman sila,” she said.

(He brought his child with him to fetch the son’s mother, but they did not reach there because they met the accident.)

The victim and his live-in partner lived in Barangay Binaliw 1, which is the neighboring barangay of Pit-os. 

When asked if the couple’s three-year-old child was alright, the victim’s mother said that the child was hospitalized and would be released from the hospital that day.

“Nabukol ra man to sa iyang ulo. Gida sa hospital sa inahan, unya mao rag pagawason na to sila karon,” said the mother of the victim.

(The child had a big lump on the head. He was brought to the hospital by his mother, and he would be released today.)

The driver was detained at the Traffic Enforcement Unit of the Cebu City Police Office, pending the filing of a case of Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Homicide, Physical Injury and Damage to Property.

Of course the story is not over. The charges could be dropped if the family decides to settle. Hopefully they do not. 

This is just one more story of how dangerous the roads are in the Philippines. The father is being painted as a hero who saved his son in the split second before he died but the reality is he ignored basic safety and put his son's life in danger. This father is no hero.

Dangerous Trucks On Philippine Roads

On this blog I have written about trucks with faulty brakes and overloaded trucks both of which are a cause of major accidents. Now, the LTO says they have busted 22 trucks and public utility drivers for driving with worn out tires. 

https://mb.com.ph/2025/1/11/more-trucks-apprehended-for-using-worn-out-tires

Land Transportation Office (LTO) enforcers apprehended 22 truck and public utility vehicle (PUVs) drivers after random inspections conducted in Metro Manila roads revealed that they were using worn-out tires.

LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary Vigor D. Mendoza II said show cause orders will be issued against the registered owners of the trucks and PUVs for them to explain why they should not be penalized for violating road safety regulations.

He said the two-day operation started on Jan. 7 and also resulted in the apprehension of 12 motorists for using unregistered motor vehicles and 51 others for various offenses that include reckless driving, not wearing a helmet, and driving without license.

“The focus of the operations are trucks and passenger utility vehicles because of the incidents of road accidents involving these types of vehicles,” said Mendoza.

“We will sustain these operations in order to ensure the compliance of all motorists. It is important that our personnel are visible on the ground because they compel erring motorists to behave," he added.

At least four truck-related road accidents happened last month, including the fatal Katipunan flyover multiple vehicle collision that resulted in the death of at least four people. At least 25 others were injured.

Since then, Mendoza ordered the deployment of LTO enforcers along truck routes in Metro Manila. 

More than 21 SCOs were also issued to truck owners last month after their trucks were found to be overloaded and using worn-out tires.

Mendoza explained that trucks with worn-out tires and overloaded trucks are prone to road accidents, and a combination of both out road users at risk. 

Mendoza said their operations also include other road safety rules and regulations to compel motorists to behave. 

“For several times, we have been urging motorists to be disciplined and to do what is right. We express gratitude to the majority of our motorists who are law-abiding citizens,” said Mendoza.

“And for the few who are hard-headed, our enforcers will be there to implement road safety rules and regulations,” he added. 

This is of course nothing new. Trucks in the Philippines tend to be very old and in bad condition. Just think how many drivers were not caught. These apprehensions were only in Manila. One has to extrapolate this number and multiply it greatly to get a sense of how many truck drivers are plying the roads in unsafe conditions. 

Malfunctioning Brakes Are A Big Problem in the Philippines

Terrible vehicle accidents happen all the time in the Philippines. Overloaded trucks plow into houses while overloaded jeepnies plunge off cliffs. Too often faulty brakes are the cause of accidents. Here are two such recent cases. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/608424/truck-runs-over-vendor-rams-seaport-building-in-san-remigio-cebu

A balot vendor died after she was run over and dragged by a wing van truck, which then crashed into a seaport building, in Hagnaya Port, Brgy. Hagnaya, San Remigio town, northern part of Cebu.

The victim was identified as Jennie Ariula Mandado, 44 years old, and a resident of Purok Agbati, Brgy. Hagnaya, San Remigio, Cebu.

According to Police Staff Sergeant Jeffrey Lequin, investigator of San Remigio Police Station, the wing van truck was driven by Arsenio Mansueto Lawan,  38 years old and a resident of Sitio Combado, Brgy. Ticad, Bantayan town in northern Cebu.

The wing van was loaded with sacks of rice and was about to travel from the port to the Bantayan Island.

However, while the wing van was waiting for its turn to drive and board a RORO vessel, the vehicle lost its brakes and the driver lost control of the vehicle.

(The driver said that the brakes could not stop the loaded truck. He said he told some of his helpers to put something against the tires to stop the truck from moving, but it did not work.)

Five other vehicles were hit by the truck —an Isuzu elf, an SUV, another truck, and two motorcycles — before it crashed into the seaport building where the victim was selling her balot together with her husband.

However, the husband was able to avoid the wing van.

(She was sitting in front of (the seaport building), she did not have a chance to ran, only her husband managed to run to safety.)

The driver was brought to the San Remigio Police Station, while the victim was brought to a funeral home after being declared dead by the regional health unit (RHU) municipal doctor.

The suspect will face a charge of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and multiple damage to property.

San Remigio is a third class municipality in the Province of Cebu and it is located 108 kilometers north of Cebu City.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/27/wayward-delivery-van-kills-injures-pedestrians-in-qc

An elderly woman died on the spot while two others were injured after being hit by a closed van on Victoria Avenue corner 13th St., Barangay Damayang Lagi, Quezon City, on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

According to the police, the accident occurred around 7:00 p.m. The victims were walking on the sidewalk when the van hit them from behind.

The the elderly's head was reportedly run over by the van while the two other victims sustained injuries. 

The 43-year-old driver was turned over to the Quezon City Police District.

"Pasensya na po eh talagang disgrasya, hindi kagustuhan po natin yon. Talagang wala tayong magagawa po (I'm sorry, it's really an accident, we don't want it to happen. There's really nothing we can do)," the driver said.

According to the driver’s companion, they were supposed to make a delivery when the brakes of the van malfunctioned which led to the accident.

Meanwhile, the other victims were brought to the hospital for immediate medical attention. 

Both of these accidents occurred on the same day and for the same reason, faulty brakes. These are not isolated incidents. Brake malfunction leading to tragedy happens on a regular basis. The solution is proper vehicle maintenance. Is that too much to ask? How many vehicles on the road should not be on the road?

Private Donation of 4 Million Plastic Cards Shows The Land Transportation Office Is An Inutile Agency

The Land Transportation Office of the Philippines has long been known to be a wholly ineffective and inutile agency. From backlogs in issuing license plates to backlogs in issuing drivers licenses drivers have had their fill of failed promises from the LTO.  When will driver's licenses be issued? Soon, says the LTO. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/09/15/2296347/lto-may-resume-drivers-license-issuance-soon

With at least one million plastic cards set to be delivered to the Land Transportation Office by the end of September, the LTO said yesterday it may resume the issuance of driver’s licenses soon.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza said the 20-day temporary restraining order (TRO) issued in August by a Quezon City court, which stopped the awarding of the contract for the production of driver’s license cards had lapsed.

Mendoza said the agency is slowly building up supply of the driver’s license cards to address the estimated 2.4-million backlog.

“Tuloy-tuloy na ang delivery. We hope to complete one million license cards by the end of the month. Siguro kapag nakaisang milyon na, we will start working on the backlog,” he said in a radio interview.

According to Mendoza, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court is still hearing the petition filed by a losing bidder, which questioned the P240-million deal for the supply of five million plastic cards.

One million cards at the end of September would still have left a massive backlog. With the LTO's procurement deal being scrutinized by the court millions of more cards would remain undelivered meaning no solution to the backlog. 

Until now. 

Enter the Philippine Society of Medicine for Drivers. They have recently donated 4 million plastic cards to the LTO to finally clear out the backlog. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1876825/donor-to-give-lto-4-million-plastic-cards-for-drivers-license-in-january

300,000 blank plastic cards on which driver’s licenses will be printed are set to be delivered by a donor organization to Land Transportation Office (LTO) on the first week of January 2024.

The agency said after this turnover, subsequent deliveries of 300,000 more pieces will be done every 15 days.

These movements will go on until a total of four million cards are brought to LTO.

The plastic cards are worth a total of P160 million.

LTO said the items are an “unconditional donation” for drivers from Philippine Society of Medicine for Drivers (PSMED).

PSMED is an association of medical clinics accredited by the agency.

“This donation is timely as it came at a time when we in the LTO are facing a serious challenge of addressing the backlog and daily usage of plastic-printed driver’s license amid the uncertainty on the outcome of the legal battle on the plastic cards that the LTO procured early this year,” LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza II said.

There are many questions here such as: from where did they procure these cards at a much lower price than the LTO? 

It is a question of price and due process that is holding up the procurement of cards in the courts. The lowest bidder says he was wrongly denied the deal which was given to a higher bidder. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1818138/qc-court-issues-tro-to-stop-lto-in-delivery-processing-drivers-license-cards

A temporary restraining order (TRO) has set back the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) delivery and processing of plastic license cards meant to address the current backlog of 1.7 million cards.

In an order dated August 15, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court branch 215 issued a TRO against the LTO, effectively suspending its delivery of plastic license cards for 20 days.

The court’s order reflected a petition filed by AllCard Inc., a losing bidder for the supply of plastic cards, after it accused the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Centralized Bids and Awards Committee of committing grave abuse of discretion.

AllCard argued that it was disqualified even when it presented the lowest bid of P176,853,600, which was significantly lower than the P240.12 million budget approved for the plastic licenses.

The card supplier also pointed out that the LTO wrongfully accused it of having had delays in its ongoing projects with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Social Security System and the Land Bank of the Philippines without even giving the company a chance to verify it.

Furthermore, the firm also alleged that the LTO immediately awarded the deal to Banner Plasticard Inc., without even waiting for the reglementary period to file a protest to finish.

This, AllCard said, caused it “irreparable injury in terms of massive financial injury due to opportunity loss and injury to [its] reputation.”

The court then granted AllCard its petition, affirming how it was deprived of its right to due process.

“This case unfortunately reeks with unfairness or injustice to the petitioner who was clearly deprived of its right to due process, and deserving judicial intervention,” the order read.

Let's do the math here. AllCard's deal works out to 35 pesos per card while the winner, Banner Palsticard Inc., comes to 48 pesos per card. Amazingly the Philippine Society of Medicine for Drivers was able to procure 4 million cards at 40 pesos per card. 

How was the Philippine Society of Medicine for Drivers able to get a significantly cheaper deal than the LTO?  None of the articles discussing this story say. Why is Banner Palsticard Inc. printing cards for 13 pesos more than AllCard and 8 pesos more than the corporation from whom  the Philippine Society of Medicine for Drivers procured cards? Again no article offers an explanation or even mentions that price disparity.  

What we can take away from this ridiculous debacle is that the LTO is a corrupt and inept bureaucracy. They awarded the winning bid for plastic cards not to the lowest bidder as required by law, nor did they wait to hear the appeal from the losing bidder before finalizing the deal, and now a private organization has had to step in to correct everything. Maybe it's time to abolish the entire government and hand it over to the private sector.

Overloaded Trucks Are a National Problem

Recently I have written about collapsing bridges, dangerous spaghetti wires, and electric poles being left in the middle of newly widened roads. All of these stories have a connecting thread and it is neglect. Neglect of the law and of public safety. In particular collapsing bridges are directly related to overloaded trucks.

In Davao road deterioration has been directly linked to overloaded trucks. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1946392/davao/local-news/road-deterioration-due-to-heavy-trucks---dpwh-davao

AN official of the Department of Public Works and Highways Davao Region (DPWH-Davao) said one of the contributing factors to why roads in the Davao Region are deteriorating is due to overloaded trucks.

DPWH Spokesperson Dean Ortiz said during the 18th Regular Session on November 15, 2022 that the roads in the region are built to accommodate vehicles that weigh as much as 10 tons. However, 20-ton trucks are now plying the roads of the region. The roads in the region are not intended to accommodate trucks of this size.

“We can monitor the trucks coming in Davao City, but... we can only do so much,” Ortiz said.

He said they can only monitor the weight of the big trucks traveling along J.P. Laurel in Panabo, Davao del Norte, and in Digos, Davao del Sur. The agency has built weighbridge stations, located around 10 kilometers away from populated areas, to monitor the weight of the trucks.

To closely monitor the trucks, Davao City Councilor Bernie Al-ag proposed the monitoring and regulation of the weights of big trucks traveling in and out of the city.

“I think what we need to do about this, number one, in regulating the weights of the truck, if we have an existing policy about this we need to review this, Let’s take a look into this if it is still appropriate,” Al-ag said.

Also, he said DPWH should also check with their planning department, especially the quality of the asphalt that is being used for the road construction so that the budget will not be wasted.

“It would be a wase that after asphalting the roads, it will deteriorate and be the cause of accidents. Instead of improving the livability in the city, it has caused a problem,” Al-ag said.

However, Ortiz said if the road deteriorates, the cost of the repair will be charged to the contractor of the project due to a structural warranty of five years.

“If there are portions that needed to be repaired, those are totally at no cost to the government, it is under the contractor,” Ortiz said.

While the repair will not cost the government, Al-ag still requested their office to follow the standards of the construction, especially the contractor. He said Dabawenyos deserve quality infrastructure.

“It is not right that after a year or two it will be reconstructed again. This is not efficient, we demand efficiency,” Al-ag said.

He said there should be a permanent solution or long-term solution to deteriorating roads.

The permanent or long-term solution is to not have heavy trucks driving through the city and to make sure all trucks are not overloaded. We can see from the picture that apparently heavy trucks are being routed through the city. That is no good. Roads by passing the city should be constructed. It is not my place to say how but surely they can learn how by studying city-planning in the USA and Europe.

Worst case scenario build roads that can withstand 20 ton trucks since no one wants to check the weight. 

The same problem is happening in Nueva Ecija.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1189290

The provincial government here is strengthening its efforts against overloading trucks to ensure the safety of motorists.

Vice Governor Anthony Umali said on Wednesday the provincial board council is set to pass an ordinance that will formulate the weight limits, stricter sanctions and possible alternative roads for overloaded trucks.

Umali said this is in support of the Nueva Ecija Task Force Overloading formed by Governor Aurelio Umali.

The vice governor said the provincial board members have agreed to refer the matter to the Committee on Housing Land Utilization and Environmental Protection and Committee on Laws to fast-track the creation of the anti-overloading measure.

“The move will ensure that the trucks carrying overloaded items will be policed by their own ranks to save roads from damage and deterioration,” he said in a local television interview.

Homer Garcia, chief of the maintenance section of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Nueva Ecija First District Engineering Office, said based on their monitoring from Oct. 21-Nov. 14, out of the 3,584 dump trucks that passed by the Sta. Rosa-Tarlac Road, 1,443 were overloaded.

It has been observed that overloaded trucks cause damage to road networks.

Garcia said funds will be allotted next year for the procurement of a weighing apparatus to be put up in the province’s entry points for continuous checkpoints against overloaded trucks.

The DPWH has been coordinating with the Land Transportation Office, Highway Patrol Group and local government units to strengthen the monitoring of immoderate vehicles through the strict enforcement of the anti-overloading policy.

Incredible!  This town has such a problem with overloaded trucks that they have formed a task force. Not to mention 40% of all dump trucks are overloaded. That is outrageous. Are they allowed to continue plying the roads? Interesting to note is that the DPWH has been contacting LGUS, the LTO, and the HPG to monitor overloaded trucks. That highlights the fact that overloaded trucks are a national problem. 

Back in June, 2022 the DWPH said they would intensify the enforcement of the overloading law. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1931623/pampanga/local-news/intensified-implementation-of-anti-overloading-law-set

THE stretch of MacArthur Highway in Pampanga is usually subject of ire and complaints of motorists due to the deteriorated state of some of its portions.

The travel from the City of San Fernando up to Apalit town via MacArthur Highway is a source of headache to motorists as they have to endure large potholes and craters, and uneven road pavement along the way.

What irks road users more is the fast deterioration of the several specific road sections as it usually goes back to its sad state just a few months after its rehabilitation.

This prompted Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Roger G. Mercado to renew the call for intensified implementation of Anti-Overloading law.

Being a national road, DPWH is responsible for the maintenance, upgrading and widening of the whole stretch of MacArthur Highway.

According to Mercado, overloaded vehicles result to premature deterioration of roads and bridges, causing vehicular accidents, and endangering commuters and pedestrians.

Citing a report from the DPWH Bureau of Quality and Safety, Mercado disclosed that around 34 percent of the trucks plying the country’s national roads in 2021 alone were classified as overloaded.

This means that the Nationwide Cases of Truck Overloading jumped by 6.96 percent in 2021, comparing from the data recorded in 2020.

“Of the 401,785 trucks that were weighed by our 38 truck weighing stations in 2021, a total of 137,029 or 34.11 percent were apprehended for overloading. This is alarming, considering that the cases have worsened from 2020 which is only at 27.15 percent,” he said.

To prevent further damage, Mercado ordered all DPWH Regional and District Engineering Offices to intensify the implementation of the RA 8794 otherwise known as the Anti-overloading law immediately.

He said DPWH personnel from different engineering offices across the country, in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP), and Land Transportation Office (LTO), will jointly apprehend violators of overloading nationwide by setting up permanent and mobile weighing stations along national roads.

“Aside from danger and inconvenience that deteriorated roads cause, it also redounds to more government spending on road maintenance,” he said.

The DPWH secretary asked for the cooperation of truckers and haulers, and advised them to comply with the law to prevent inconveniences during their travel.

It should not take complaints from motorists for the DWPH to enforce laws. Given the state of the government where everyone takes a kickback I don't expect this problem to go away anytime soon if ever. Bridges will continue to collapse and roads will continue to deteriorate because in the Philippines the ends justifies the means. If you can overload your truck and get it delivered it on time saving money, well that is all that matters. 

RA 8794 has been on the books since 2020!

https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2000/ra_8794_2000.html

Section 6. Penalty for Overloading- An amount equivalent to twenty five percent (25%) of the MVUC shall be imposed on trucks and trailers for loading beyond their prescribed gross vehicle weight: provided, That no axle load shall exceed thirteen thousand five hundred kilograms(13,5000kgs).

What!?  This is ONLY a monetary fine!!  In fact that is what this law is all about, charging motorists various fines. You know what that means?  It means there is no SPECIFIC law regarding overloaded trucks. Overloaded trucks destroy roads and lead to the collapse of bridges but who cares? Why bother to write a specific addressing that issue!? 

Philippine City Wants Drivers To Spy On Everyone

General Santos City is considering a strange proposal requiring all drivers to install dash cams in order to spy on everyone. This is all in the name of safety and security.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1130254

The city council here is planning to tap motorists as “roving eyes” on the streets to enhance public safety and security.

City Councilor Vivencio Dinopol said Wednesday they are studying a measure that will require the installation of dashboard cameras or “dashcams” in private and public utility vehicles.

He said the move is aimed to ensure the proper recording, through mobile digital video devices, of road crashes and related incidents as well as criminal activities, especially the shootings by motorcycle-riding suspects.

The presence of the dashcams could deter the occurrence of various traffic violations and help counter the movement of criminal elements, he said.

Dinopol said many crimes remained unsolved due to the lack of witnesses and available video footages.

“We have existing security and road traffic safety measures but these are clearly not enough. We need to take advantage of the available technologies to ensure the safety of the general public while on our streets,” he told reporters.

He said they will hold a series of consultations, through the committees on transportation and public safety, to get the pulse and recommendations from the public regarding the measure, which will set through an ordinance.

He acknowledged that it could be difficult for some motor vehicle owners to comply due to the financial requirement and with the local transport sector still reeling from the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

But he said they are considering possible arrangements that would allow the local government to assist the affected motorists.

“During the committee hearing, the LGU (local government unit) could commit some amount to assist the vehicle owners in buying dashcams, maybe through loans or any other scheme,” he said.

This is unbelievably Orwellian. What these people want is to transform everyone with a car into a snitch. Not just a snitch but eyes for the state! They will in effect be setting up a panopticon. How dare these LGUs be called dads! They are elected officials who govern at the consent of the governed. They are by no means "dads" or fathers. They are servants of the people. How would this law be serving the people? It wouldn't!

All of this is totally ridiculous and redundant as well. Just last year General Santos City was preparing to roll out a P451 million traffic, CCTV system.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120706

The city government is gearing up for the full implementation of its PHP451-million synchronized traffic signalization and city-wide closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera system project.

Engr. Emerald Signar, head of the City Engineer’s Office in a radio interview on Wednesday said the special bids and awards committee (BAC) commissioned for the project has already started the series of pre-procurement conference as part of the preparatory processes.

He said the pre-procurement conference is the venue for the BAC to scrutinize the requirements and other necessary attachments in the project proposals of the prospective suppliers or contractors.

These are based on the approved terms of reference (TOR) and performance specification of the project, he said.

City Mayor Ronnel Rivera originally approved the project in 2018 but Signar said its implementation was delayed due to the crafting of the TOR and performance specification.

Signar said it will be a design-build process, with the winning supplier designing the system based on the TOR, which set an implementation period of 18 months.

He said the traffic signalization will cover at least 26 major intersections that were identified in a study conducted by the city’s traffic engineering unit as critical sections due to heavy vehicular traffic.

The official said the winning supplier is mandated to upgrade the existing 11 traffic light systems in the city and synchronize them with the new units.

Under the project, he said over 200 CCTV cameras will also be installed in different locations in the city that will be connected by a fiber optic cabling system.

Signar said the local government opted to implement the project in full instead of phased basis to ensure the proper integration and synchronization of the systems.

He said other local government units that rolled out the project on phased basis faced problems with the fast-changing technologies and differences in the systems adopted by the winning suppliers.

“We want it implemented in full to ensure that it is synchronized and totally integrated. That’s the mayor’s marching order,” he said.

When completed, Signar said the project is expected to enhance traffic and law enforcement operations in the city since the CCTV cameras will have face recognition, face tamper recognition, color recognition and other features.

He said the CCTVs, based on the approved specification, will be able to see through tinted motor vehicles.

These will be useful in the identification of traffic violators through the “no contact” enforcement policy and on alerting the possible movements of criminal elements, he said.

He added that the CCTV cameras may also be used for the monitoring of disaster incidents and facilitate faster response by the local government.

That article is from November 2020 so it can't be that COVID has put things on hold. There is no mention of COVID in this article. Look at the features of this system: facial recognition, can see through tinted windows, and many other things. Can a dash cam do that?  NO!!

It should be noted this system is not in effect. They are still going through the bidding process apparently. They want it to be implemented all at once to prevent any snafus. The budget has been in place since 2018 but now 3 years later...nothing. Solution? Get everyone to have dash cams to cover their butts! 

Let's say it becomes law. Then what? Everyone has a dash cam and then what? What happens to the footage? Will people be required to upload it to a central database? How would that even be enforced!? Who would analyze all the video footage from thousands of vehicles? It's a preposterous idea.

What about the local PNP? Don't they have body cams which would record much of the same footage?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1386454/house-probe-sought-on-delayed-police-body-camera-project

“More than two years since the budget for the body cameras for police was approved, the PNP has yet to complete the procurement and distribution of the devices meant to increase police accountability and transparency,” the lawmakers said in the resolution.

For all their talk the PNP has yet to procure body cameras. Yet General Santos City wants to pass a law making it mandatory for all drivers to have dash cams! It is a totally ridiculous and totalitarian proposal. It will probably pass into law.

Stuck In The Mud

This driver got stuck in the mud! 

I was told the driver was drunk and did not realize he was not going the right way.  Here you can see his tracks which lead back to the bar where he was drinking.

I was also told the driver got out, locked the vehicle, and stumbled away home. Aren't SUVs supposed to be able to get out of situations like this?

Immediate Off Street Parking is One Reason Traffic is So Bad in the Philippines

Traffic isn't awful in the Philippines solely because people drive with no regard for safety or laws. Traffic is also bad because of lack of planning on the part of the DPWH who when building the roads decides to pave right around electrical poles and the engineers and architects who construct buildings which have immediate off street parking rather than a separate parking lot away from the street. I am talking about this:

That is a brand new building constructed at a very busy intersection. The architects who designed this building took no consideration of the heavy traffic in the area and decided parking right off the street was a good idea. Anyone who parks here is going to have to back into a traffic jam and will hold up traffic themselves. The risk for accidents in this kind of set-up is very high. That is why there are so many men you have to pay P5 for backing you up.

Some of those who back up cars are even children who should be in school.

Imagine an entire black market economy of these workers who back up cars because of bad planning. They might not make much but at least they don't have to pay taxes on it. Many cars that park in these kind of spaces end up obstructing traffic because part of the vehicle juts into the road.

Those are not cherry-picked pictures. That is a standard day in the Philippines. Cars, trucks, vans, and other vehicles with their tail ends hanging into the street causing obstructions. But you know what? That's actually not their fault because the most of these spots are not large enough for a car or truck to fit!

Does not fit!

I notice there is also a penchant for backing into a parking spot rather then pulling right in headfirst. This happens even in safe off street parking spots like at Jolibee. Sometimes drivers decide to back into immediate off street parking spots which also causes a bit of a traffic jam. Then you have these thoughtless idiots:

In the Philippines any space automatically becomes a parking space as long as you turn on the emergency flashers. Who cares if you are blocking parked cars or impeding the flow of traffic? Tricycles also block parking spots. Just look at all these tricycle lined up in a row blocking the parking spaces. Cars cannot get in or out without a big commotion.

Do you want to see just how stupid and dangerous immediate off street parking is in action? Watch as this SUV backs across three lanes of traffic.

Pretty stupid and needlessly dangerous. Now let's compare a supermarket parking lot in the Philippines with one in the USA.

Robinson's Supermarket parking lot

Kroger parking lot

See the difference? To be fair the Robinson's Supermarket does have an underground garage. That is a good thing. They should have left the parking entirely in the garage and forgone the immediate off street parking which is simply stupid and dangerous.