The Department of Health (DOH) recently attended the 2025 Road Safety Summit, where secretary Teodoro Herbosa discussed that road accidents are still one of the top causes of death in the country, saying about 12,000 Filipinos died in 2024 in a road crash or some similar manner, while over 37,000 citizens were recorded with road-related injuries.
Secretary Herbosa then proclaimed that the country should aim to reduce these numbers by half, in around three years. While that sounds ambitious, Herbosa’s suggested solution is rather simple: A full implementation of the 30kph speed limit on city and municipal streets.
That speed limit is actually written in Republic Act No. 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code. There, it is written that passenger cars and motorcyclers are limited to 30kph when “on city and municipal streets, with light traffic, when not designated ‘through streets.’”
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Herbosa and the DOH believe that limiting vehicles to 30kph will not only make city streets safer, but also more accessible to pedestrians and other road users. In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, Herbosa commented that slower and safer-moving cars will encourage other forms of transportation: “More people will want to walk, more people will want to bike, more people will want to use public transport—it will change the character of our area.”
During the summit, the DOH also conducted free checkups for physical wellness and mental health, among other safety resources, specifically for drivers.
