Death of 8,500 Filipino kids each year preventable - Loren

MALDIVES (July 14, 2009) - Senator Loren Legarda threw her support today to a program by the Department of Education (DepEd) that would introduce lessons on personal safety in elementary and high schools.

"This initiative by the DepEd is most welcome as our children must be well-informed on how they can protect themselves from injury as well as from exploitation," said Loren, who is here as head of a United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).

Loren pointed out that children are most vulnerable to hazardous conditions that may be prevailing in some schools, whose construction may not meet safety standards or whose features like stairs and balcony railings may cause accidents.

She added that children must also be made aware of the dangers lurking in the streets as they travel to and from their houses and schools, noting the many accidents occur each day victimizing school children crossing the roads.

Data from Safe Kids Philippines (SKP) revealed that some 3,600 Filipino children die each year due to road accidents, with some 20 million kids walking to school every day.

SKP President Raffy Consunji had said that out of the 8,500 Filipino children who lose their lives to accidental injuries, around 3,600 die from vehicular accidents involving, mostly, motorcycles and tricycles.

"These deaths are preventable if only there will be a conscious effort to promote the safety of children," said Loren.

Loren noted with dismay the result of the SKP study which showed that 28 percent of all injuries suffered by children are inflicted intentionally. Road accidents account for 30 percent of their injuries followed by mauling or assault (28 percent), falls (20 percent), and cuts (14 percent).

"They must also be protected against elements that take advantage of their innocence, and I am referring to drug pushers and other lawless elements, including sexual predators who had gone high-tech through the internet in luring in unsuspecting children," Loren said.

Loren had recently caused the closure of a lewd website that was exploitative of Filipino women and children, as well as the prosecution by government authorities of the site's operator.

Most of the traffic-related injuries that children suffer involve pedestrians, and 29 percent of them are caused by bicycles, 23 percent by tricycles, and 18 percent by motorcycles, the study said.

According to the DepEd, the special lessons will be integrated in Sibika at Kultura in the elementary levels and in Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika for high schools.