Ten-year old Alcantara was killed after he was hit by a van and pinned down by another vehicle while crossing the grade school parking lot with his sibling and nanny. Alcantara’s companions were able to survive the accident.
In the wake of Alcantara’s death, there was renewed awareness and stronger vigilance on traffic and security regulatons on campus.
Effective March 2, Ateneo took measures to improve traffic and safety regulations.
Next steps
University Physical Plant Administrator Leoncio Miralao said what happened in Alcantara’s case was that the van driver stepped on the gas instead of the brakes. “There is no premeditation, it was an accident, but…unfortunately the boy died,” Miralao said.
Miralao said additional traffic enforcers have been deployed around the grade school area.
Detachment Commander Avelino Guzilan said they now have 19 security guards in grade school area, aside from the parent and teacher marshals assisting them.
“We now have marshals: faculty, staff, and parents. They assist during dismissal, there are around 20 of them helping the pedestrians,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Both Miralao and Guzilan added that guards have not been added to the high school and college campuses because enough enforcers are deployed in these areas.
Guzilan said aside from adding guards, the counter flow of vehicles seen every morning was removed.
“The counter flow means that two lanes enter Ateneo and no one goes the opposite way. We removed this, effective as of March 2,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.
Guzilan also said that more pedestrian lanes in the campus are being added.
Miralao also mentioned the presence of designated pick up and drop off areas for students in campus.
Other related measures, as indicated in an entry published in the Ateneo website (ateneo.edu) on March 2, are the following.
Set up of safety measures in campus where speeding is likely to occur, and
Creation of a multi-stakeholder committee that will review the community’s recommendations on traffic and safety.
What they think
The GUIDON interviewed several parents of Ateneo Grade School students to solicit feedback on the new safety measures.
Edward Silverio said that traffic regulations are better now. “[But] I think it still needs improvement because there are still 3 to 4 rows of cars. Even at the back, children still cross to get to their respective vehicles,” Silverio said.
Katherine Munsayac agreed with Silverio. She added, however, that there should be a holding area where children can stay. “There should be more order because the kids are still allowed to run around.”
Bernardita Rodriguez said the regulations were better, but said the parent marshals were not necessary. “That accident really is something out of the ordinary… It should not be attributed to the safety [here]…It is a given that there are a lot of cars considering the volume of the people,” she said.
“What had happened made us realize that we had to work as a team with the school administrators,” said parent marshal Hanna Gonzalez. “We have to prioritize the safety…we have to help people in the pedestrian lane. So traffic is slower [because of the marshaling in the pedestrian lanes] but the safety of the kids is our priority.”
