The UP Visayas Action Research Project (UPV-ARP) team, under the Division of Professional Education and COP-BIDANI, College of Arts and Sciences, joined the pilot implementation of the student segment of the Iloilo City Road Safety and Courtesy Concept Ideation Project, a collaboration between the Iloilo City Government under the auspices of the Office of the Hon. Atty. Sedfrey L. Cabaluna and the University. The activity took place at Iloilo City National High School last 28 Feb. 2023.
The Road Safety and Courtesy Concept Ideation Project titled Sa Lugar Lang aims to popularize the distinct Ilonggo phrase sa lugar lang, which is commonly used to signal that someone wishes to go down a public utility vehicle. The meaning of sa lugar lang, however, also varies depending on how commuters use the phrase. The pilot implementation aimed to derive those various meanings and other perceptions from the participants.
Under the leadership of Principal IV Alpha A. Java and the advisers of the Supreme Student Council of the school, 30 student leaders participated in the activity. They engaged in an exercise designed to achieve the following within shared public spaces: clarify the notions of human movements and mobility, explore barriers to safe and courteous human movements and mobility, and propose actionable initiatives out of a reflective discussion on experiences and ideas on human movement.
The first group dynamics was the Human Traffic Game Simulation. It was followed by a small group discussion, which allowed students to share their observations, experiences, and ideals as commuters. To complete the exercise, the groups presented a synthesis of their discussions, including potential solutions to existing traffic challenges in the city. Councilor Cabaluna gave his comments on the outputs of the students, which he found highly pragmatic and doable.
The succeeding phases of the project will involve capacitating more facilitators and promoting the tenets of Sa Lugar Lang as an advocacy.
The UPV-ARP team is led by Prof. Jeena Amoto, Project Manager and Prof. Donne Jone Sodusta, Assistant Project Manager for Youth Formation, a subcommittee of ARPT. Ms. Elna Mariel Nanta of COP-BIDANI is co-manager of the project.
The facilitators of the project include Prof. Dominique Maquiran, Prof. Ronela Jundos, Ms. Jelyn Geraldoy, Mr. Rey Alexander Palmares, and Ms. Gerthrode Charlotte Tan-Mabilog. (With sources from ARPT)
