Want to admire the largest collection of historic state cars in the Philippines and give your kids a lesson on road safety at the same time?
ICYDK, there’s an interactive gallery designed to keep kids safe on our streets inside the historic Presidential Car Museum in Quezon City. The Tamang Asal Sa Kalsada (TASK) Central Hub is a new and colorful gallery inside the car museum in Quezon Memorial Circle that teaches kids about proper street manners, conduct, and road safety.
Most car enthusiasts are probably already familiar with the Presidential Car Museum (Museo ng Pampangulong Sasakyan), which has been open since 2018. The unique history museum highlights the country’s rich automotive history through the iconic vehicles used by former presidents of the Philippines during their term.
You can marvel at 12 beautifully restored presidential cars used by 13 past presidents of the country, spot other historic vehicles (including a turn-of-the-century carriage and a World War II-era jeepney), and learn trivia about the safety features of state vehicles through interactive digital exhibits.
The latest addition to the museum in the form of the kid-friendly gallery was launched in December 2024, coinciding with the museum’s reopening after months-long closures for renovations and repairs.
The TASK Central Hub was designed for the museum’s younger visitors to explore the rules of the road in a fun and engaging way. It aims to educate young children and school-aged kids on proper road etiquette and safety practices to reduce road accidents and casualties. The hub teaches basic road signs, traffic rules, and pedestrian safety tips with interactive displays.
It’s a small space within the museum, but worth a detour if you happen to be visiting with kids. While the larger museum will appeal to car enthusiasts and history buffs of all ages, this particular gallery is suited mainly for families with young kids or educators looking for school field trips, in light of the rise of road accidents in the country.
The TASK Central Hub introduces children to the various modes of transportation and various traffic signs, we commonly see on the road but don’t necessarily understand. Understanding signs is essential for safe navigation as pedestrians and future drivers. A scannable QR code in one exhibit brings users to a longer list of different traffic signs and symbols in the Philippines on the LTO Portal for reference.
Kids can learn to follow the traffic rules in a safe, simulated environment and experience crossing streets by following traffic lights. The hub features a small mock-up of real-world streets, complete with pedestrian crossings, traffic lights and parking areas. The area gives children a space to practice safe crossing techniques and understand traffic signals in a controlled setting.
Through engaging activities and displays, children learn about the importance of road safety, including different traffic lights, the roles of different road users, and the significance of adhering to traffic rules.
The gallery emphasizes the development of responsible attitudes among young road users, fostering a culture of safety and respect on the roads. Visual graphics show the proper road etiquette and some do’s and don’ts in a comic-style format. Kids can also record themselves making a safety pledge to follow road rules to inspire others on social media.
The museum also gives out informative materials on what to do in case of road crashes as well as rights and responsibilities that road users and drivers of all ages will find useful.
The TASK Central Hub is a joint effort between the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the Department of Transportation (DOTR) and was made possible through the support of the San Miguel Holdings Corporation (SMHC).
During the museum's reopening in December 2024, NHCP Chair Regalado Trota Jose Jr. highlighted the importance of promoting road safety, saying the new gallery “integrates history, education, and a shared commitment to fostering a safe and responsible community” for Filipino children who are most vulnerable on our roads.
Statistics from UNICEF show that every day, 5 children die in road crashes in the Philippines. In 2023, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that 13,101 lives were lost due to road traffic accidents. In 2024, over 37,000 injuries were recorded by the Department of Health (Philippines) ONEISS (Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System).
In case you’re wondering, there’s no admission fee to enter the Presidential Car Museum and there’s a spacious parking area right in front of the museum.
The Presidential Car Museum, including the TASK Central Hub, is located inside Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City. It’s open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Aside from catering to walk-in guests, they also accept tour reservations for school field trips, motoring group events, and the like. For inquiries, contact them directly at (+63) 905 435 3396 or email them at pcm@nhcp.gov.ph.
