amiel alcantara’s 2 most favorite things at the taal lakehouse

 

read here: https://wawam.wordpress.com/?s=amiel+favorite+things

warrant of arrest for theresa torres, woman involved in amiel alcantara death

amiel alcantara’s 1st year death anniversary – february 24, 2010

it is close to being one year since the death of amiel alcantara, the grade 4 student of ateneo de manila grade school. this is not easy to forget – our children who go to school are supposed to be home at 4 pm. the school, after all in our minds is one of the safest places for your young children to be in. this did not happen in february 24, 2009 for amiel.

amiel was crushed by a speeding van to the back of a CRV. he died shortly. i remember talking to pepe, amiel’s dad and asked him what happened that afternoon. he told me, he was in the car when he got the call about the news on amiel. he told me he screamed when he was told amiel had died.

i can only imagine the anguish and pain that pepe felt. but i do not think that what pepe felt can approximate the pain and loss he felt  even if i used the  most vivid imagination that i can muster.

it is a senseless loss. and it was a great loss. on the approach of the 1 year death anniversary of amiel, we hope and pray that he sits with the Lord in heaven in eternal peace. we also hope that the family of amiel, his parents, siblings and other relatives have learned to find peace in their hearts.

spot at the AGS parking lot where amiel died

 

amiel's urn at the garden in their taal batangas rest house

 

amiel's classmates from 4-manobo await for the amiel's hearse to leave the AGS grounds

 

for more exclusive photos, please click : http://amielsfootprints.wordpress.com/

not enough parking spaces – the unsolved problem at AGS

now that the new traffic scheme is in place and we have had a few weeks experience with it, my conclusion is that the key problem at the parking lot is that there is not enough parking spaces for all the cars that go to ateneo to pick up AGS students. and that problem may have caused the tragic accident at the AGS parking lot.

not having enough parking spaces for all the cars is as plain as ateneo is

photo by solar

 blue. parking at the drop off point where amiel was killed and beside the irwin theater are no longer allowed – all those cars that used to be parked there are now double/quadruple parked at the football fields and at the road beside katipunan road. 

these parking spaces are always full. on top of the cars that are parked inside  the white lines, are vehicles parked perpendicular to these cars on both sides of the road.  it has  now become more difficult and slower to pass through those roads. the double/quadruple parking now goes all the way past  near the pedestrian overpass that crosses katipunan road.

amiel was killed as he crossed that road to reach their car which was parked at the drop-off area. the van that killed him was also parked there. the death was caused as small boys and moving vehicles were mixed in the same space. boys then were allowed to cross that drop off area in between cars that were parked or moving.

having not enough parking spaces based on comments from parents on this blog have been a perennial problem. some parents here have said CPRs have been bringing up that problem with ateneo school officials but obviously no action has been taken.

that problem still remain.  i hope the ateneo admin know that. what this new traffic scheme did was it just moved the problem of lack of parking spaces from the old location to a new spot – from the drop off areas and beside irwin theater to the parking areas at the football fields and the road beside katipunan.

in other words and i hope it does not happen – what this new traffic scheme did is it removed the danger of an accident at the drop off areas but transferred it to the football field and road near katipunan parking areas.

AGS students do walk to those areas to ride into their cars. in that same area we still see AGS students mixed in the same space as moving vehicles, only in this space it is more crowded which makes it even worst.

we think there is unfinished business at the AGS parking lot.

amiel alcantara’s marker at the AGS parking lot

these are pictures contributed by solar. we like to thank solar for his contribution to this blog.

we hope that this marker for amiel will remind us on a daily basis that we should honor this young boy’s life by staying safe in that parking lot. for pedestrians to follow all the rules all the time and for drivers to always take caution and drive slow in that area.

“impossible traffic” at the Ateneo Grade School

“impossible traffic” was how one ateneo dad describes the traffic situation at the AGS. we concur.

it has now taken much longer, at around 2 to 3 times longer to get in and out of the ateneo campus in the morning during drop-off and most specially in the afternoon at pick-up. what used to be getting in and out of the ateneo from 10 to 20 minutes, it is now anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes depending on the time. and that is just to get out and in to the AGS campus.

something is also wrong now at katipunan, on the approach to and getting out of the ateneo campus. traffic lines are now much longer, bumper to bumper and standstill traffic is more common. we wonder if the new traffic scheme implemented at the AGS is causing the traffic jam outside of ateneo. commuters and drivers along katipunan must now be fuming mad at ateneo.

pictures were taken on june 19, afternoon dismissal.

bumper to bumper traffic on road along katipunan. this reached up to the gate.

the other side is no different - bumper to bumper traffic on matheson road reaching all the college buildings to gate 3

double parking on both sides on parking beside the football fields across the blue eagle's gym

comments and suggestions posted here, to read, please click: https://wawam.wordpress.com/new-ags-traffic-scheme-comments-suggestions/

new AGS traffic scheme

an ateneo mom sent us these pictures of the new traffic scheme at the AGS. read parents’ feedback on the new traffic scheme here: https://wawam.wordpress.com/new-ags-traffic-scheme-comments-suggestions/

no parking beside lee irwin theater, turned into a curbside pick-up

on penny changes done on traffic scheme – “ateneo doesn’t care”

comment posted here: https://wawam.wordpress.com/2009/05/30/a-covered-parking-lot-for-teachers-at-the-ags-amiel-alcantaras-death-aftermath/

Despite our appeals to Ateneo to do something RADICAL, it looks like they have chosen to implement something MARGINAL.

I downloaded and studied the staggered dismissal schedules that Ateneo Grade School posted on their website. Loooks to me like there is a typographical error in the post, because my Grade 4 son commented that Grades 6 and 7 will spend less time in school than Grades 4 and 5. He commented that it was unfair to him that his brother in Grade 7 will get away with less hours in school.

Either he is right or the posted schedule is wrong. Taking a look at the schedule, it can only be correct if they removed the period either for Intramurals or Co-Curricular Activity from the schedule for Grades 6 and 7. Please validate.

Given that the success of the scheme is hinged on fetchers picking up the boys on a staggered basis, Ateneo has to ensure that fetchers know what the correct dismissal schedule is. Relaying unverified or inaccurate information will turn the entire Katipunan into a traffic nightware, don’t you think?

I am disaapointed in the solution being presented now. I had hoped for a better quality solution. It seems to me that the Multi-Stakeholder Committee created their solution in a vacuum, ignoring all the comments and suggestions of well-meaning parents.

Oh well . . . we won’t know anything until we give the scheme a try.

the traffic scheme that AGS ignored

we received an email that contains a traffic plan for the AGS. the email says this was developed by a group of professionals on design and safety –  architects and engineers and was submitted to the multi-stakeholder committee for consideration.

this traffic scheme is very different from the one that is being implemented now which means this was not at all adapted by the committee.

proposed traffic scheme developed by professionals on design and safety

 Design and Safety Philosophy :  Separate Pedestrian and Vehicular Traffic

 The safety of the Children is the paramount consideration to the design of any Traffic Scheme for schools. The best way to achieve this is to follow the tried and tested standard of separating pedestrian streams with that of vehicular flows to minimize if not to totally eradicate accidents of Ateneo’s students—the children of the main stakeholders of Ateneo de Manila University.

 Design Concepts

 1. Enlarged / Lengthened Waiting Areas. 
 The Waiting Areas (may be covered later) for fetching and dropping off students shall be lengthened by about 6 times the existing lengths. This shall discourage drivers from fetching and dropping off students in the middle of the road which may lead to another accident.

 2. Central Waiting Area.
Pedestrian and Vehicular Streams should not cross as much as possible, therefore, a core shall be created making use of the Blue Eagle Gym, Irwin Theater and the Inner Driveway serviced by 2 Road Loops. The Inner driveway shall be used as a Holding Area where students can play safely in a gated (fenced) environment while waiting for their fetchers.

 The Central Pedestrian / Waiting Area (where the current faculty parking is located) shall be connected to the Inner Driveway via the existing covered walkway from the Cafeteria or the existing open walkway (usually reserved for teachers only) through the Inner Driveway Courtyard where the statues of the Holy Family are located. From this Central Pedestrian / Waiting Area, students shall branch out to the Blue Eagle Gym, Irwin Theater and the Pedestrian /Waiting Area outside the Inner Driveway.

 Traffic Flow

1. Gate 1 Entry.
From Gate 1, drivers proceed to Road Loop 1 and may drop off or fetch students along the lengths of Pedestrian / Waiting Areas A & B. They then exit through the Collector Road toward Gate 2-B or park their vehicles in the Parking Lots.

2. Gates 2 and 3 Entries.
From Gate 2, drivers proceed via Mastersons Drive to Road Loop 2 and may drop off or fetch students along the lengths of Pedestrian / Waiting Areas D & E. They then exit through Gate 2-B or Gate 3 or park their vehicles in the Parking Lots.

Drivers entering Gates 2 or 3 may also access Road Loop 1 via the Collector Road and may drop off or fetch students along the lengths of Pedestrian / Waiting Areas A & B. They then exit through the Collector Road toward Gate 2-B or park their vehicles in the Parking Lots.

3. School Bus.
School Buses may enter Gate 1, proceed to Road Loop 1 to drop off students along the lengths of Pedestrian / Waiting Areas A & B. They then proceed to the School Bus Parking via the Collector Road.

School Buses may also enter Gates 2 & 3, proceed to Road Loop 2 to drop off students along the lengths of Pedestrian / Waiting Areas D & E. They then proceed to the School Bus Parking via Mastersons Drive. Students are fetched by School Buses in their respective School Bus Parking slots along the lengths of Pedestrian / Waiting Areas C-1 & C-2 around the Blue Eagle Gym. Students walk to Pedestrian / Waiting Areas C-1 & C-2 without crossing roads / streets.

 4. Faculty Parking. 
 Faculty Parking behind the Blue Eagle Gym and Parking of Administrators at the Inner Driveway shall be relocated to the rear of the Cafeteria where they walk through existing Covered Walkways at the side of the Cafeteria.

 5. Fetchers’ Parking.
Existing parking for the general public shall remain. Access to these areas shall be via manned Pedestrian Crossings through Pedestrian / Waiting Areas D and C-1.

Comments & Suggestions On New AGS Traffic Scheme

we have set up a separate page for your comments and suggestions on the  new AGS traffic scheme that will be implemented on june 10, 2009.

fr. nebres in a posting in this blog says he reads this blog. your comments posted here hopefully will reach fr. nebres.

please give your comments and suggestions, good or bad in this page: https://wawam.wordpress.com/new-ags-traffic-scheme-comments-suggestions/ or click the tab at the top of this page.

there is also a Photo Gallery Of  The New AGS Traffic Scheme – view photos of the effect of the new traffic scheme here. we also invite everyone to send us their photos so we can publish it here. email your photos to wawam.email@gmail.com. view this page here: https://wawam.wordpress.com/new-ags-traffic-scheme-comments-suggestions/photo-gallery-of-new-ags-traffic-scheme/

 

please let other parents know about this as well.

proposal: move AGS teachers parking lot and make it covered – aftermath of amiel alcantara’s death

based on the latest traffic scheme released by the ateneo, the teachers’ reserved parking lot is still there and will not be moved elsewhere. that space could be used as exit for cars getting out of the congested parking lot. it will increase efficiency and safety for all.

removing that reserved parking lot and turning it to use for fetchers and students is also one of the unanimous suggestion of parents and even professionals/experts. we do not understand why ateneo is blind and insensitive to that improvement.

we think it is best to remove that reserved parking lot for teachers and transfer it to a much better location. transfer the reserved teachers parking lot behind irwin theater.

that area connects to the back of the AGS canteen and already has an existing passageway. it also puts it very close to the teachers dining are at the back of the canteen. walking distance for the teachers from their cars to the campus will be reduced dramatically making it easier and more convenient for teachers specially on rainy days.

ateneo should not stop at moving the parking area to the back of irwin theater which makes it very convenient and significantly helps traffic and safety at the AGS parking lot, ateneo should make the teacher’s parking lot at the back of  irwin theater covered by a roof  to protect their cars and the teachrs from the heat and rain. we think the teachers deserve to be treated better as well.

this suggestion is a win-win for everyone concerned – safer and more efficient for fetchers and students and more convenient for teachers.

——

we shared the above same suggestion in a yahoogroup of ateneo parents (234 members) and we got a reply from one of the ateneo parents:

yes!…. teachers come early in the earliest and leave last…. they are old
enough to cross the street or yes, they can take the back of Irwin theater for parking… a lot of parents i know feel the same way.

we thought that was an excellent point. we gave this reply:

you raise an excellent point – teachers  arrive  first and leave last. that is an excellent rationale for  moving the reserved parking spaces from where it is now, beside the blue eagle’s gym.

since they arrive first and leave last, they are actually obstructing the flow of vehicles owned by thousands of students/parents/drivers who can use that prime real estate to exit the already cramped parking lot. freeing that space up for use of the thousands of students/parents/drivers will decongest the parking lot even faster and in effect have better safety for all.

moving their reserved parking spaces behind the irwin theater will be much better for them as it will be closer to the campus. they will need to walk a much shorter distance and that is good given the load of school things they have to haul from their cars to the classrooms.

that space behind irwin theater is unused. its a good idea to put it into good use for better traffic effiiciency, safer for our kids and more convenient for the teachers.

we also think ateneo should build roofs over the parking area for teachers for the comfort and protection of the teachers and theirs cars from heat and rain.

new Ateneo Grade School traffic and safety scheme

posted at the ateneo website (http://www.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=120&type=2&sec=25&aid=6720). with thanks to Dino who posted the link in this blog. it’s not easy to understand, but this is the scheme that will be implemented.

please post your comments and suggestions on this new traffic and safety scheme here and we will make sure it reaches ateneo admin.

———-

FEATURES OF THE AGS NEW TRAFFIC AND SAFETY SCHEME

After a two-month effort, the multi-stakeholder committee headed by the VP for Administration and Planning Dr. John Paul Vergara, came out with a comprehensive design which enables an ingress and egress system that utilizes safe passage for students and only curb side drop-off and pick-up.  Parents’ orientations, student walk throughs and driver’s dry run will be conducted.

An attempt to provide the pertinent features of the scheme is included below. This covers the various components of the scheme and to whom this applies to . You may wish toDownload  the vicinity map as a basic guide.

DISMISSAL SCHEDULES
To WHOM does this apply to : ALL STUDENTS

Fundamental to the scheme is the reduction of vehicles at a given dismissal time.  A revised dismissal schedule now enables this ( Download a copy of the new Dismissal Schedules)

CROSSING ONLY AT DESIGNATED PEDESTRIAN LANES
To WHOM does this apply to : ALL STUDENTS who go to their cars instead of wait to be picked up. To commuters

Another pertinent feature of the new scheme is the designation of pedestrian safety passages. (Download  a copy of the Pedestrian Walkpaths Map ) Evidently the principle behind this provision is to ascertain the safety of students regardless of whether they will be picked up at designated pick-up areas or whether they will go to their parked vehicles during dismissal time. The same safety consideration enables commuters to walk to leave the campus by passing through pedestrian paths.
 

CURBSIDE DROP OFF AND PICK-UP ONLY

To WHOM does this apply to :Drivers of all students

With the new scheme comes a rerouting of vehicles. Essentially, this rerouting will enable the vehicles to enter the inner driveway- an area that was once inaccessible  except during rains and the Irwin Theatre Curbside Area  .  Vehicles entering Gate 3 may still access the AGS via Masterson’s Drive or the  service road at Erunchun Footbal Field , facing Katipunan  Road . ( Download a copy of  the Drivers Route Map ).

PREFERENTIAL SPACE FOR SCHOOL BUS RIDERS
To WHOM does this apply to : School Vehicle Riders and Drivers

 

In an effort to encourage the students to avail of school service vehicles, school service providers are provided with special parking spaces ( indicated in  the map as SP ) . This will enable the students to wait for the fetchers at a holding area located at the old prep.   (Download a copy of map showing the exit route of the students who take the school service )

PICK UP of PREP AND GRADE 1 STUDENTS
To WHOM does this apply to : All Prep and Grade 1 Students

 

Being the youngest among the AGS students, the Prep and Grade 1 students will continue to be accompanied by their teachers to designated waiting areas where fetchers will pick them up. Prep students will be picked up their fetchers at the old Prep Area . Grade 1 students will be picked up at the  Irwin Theatre Area. The inner driveway continues to be accessible to  the students and fetchers waiting for their vehicles. ( Download a copy of  the map showing the pick up routes of Prep and Grade 1 Students

SPECIAL PARKING SPACES for PREP and GRADE 1 STUDENTS
To WHOM does this apply to : Drivers of Prep and Grade 1 students

 

Parking spaces will be made exclusive 1 hour before the dismissal time of PREP and GRADE 1 Students. For Prep, the Parking area is located at the Southwest Carpark for Grade 1, the space is at P7. Drivers are asked to display a duplicate of  the fetchers pass at the windshield of their cars for proper identification.

PICK -UP of GRADE 2- 7 STUDENTS
To WHOM does this apply to :Grade 2-7 students and their drivers

 

Although the grades 2-7 students will be coming from different areas during dismissal.  There are designated curbside areas where their vehicles  can drive and pick them up . ( Download a copy of the drive and Curbside loading of Grade 2-7 )

Because it is important  to gather valuable information about the effectiveness of  the new scheme,  we are banking on your utmost cooperation and compliance.  You and your drivers are enjoined to go through the Traffic Guidelines since the plan will be implemented soon as classes begin on June 8.

However, be assured that although, security and traffic personnel will enforce rules and call the attention of violators( for purposes of driver education and data gathering ) no sanction will yet be imposed until June 30 . We are in the process of recruiting parent volunteers who wish to serve as traffic and safety marshalls . Those of you who are interested my get in touch with Asst Headmaster for Student Affairs Jonny Salvador at jsalvador@ateneo.edu

We invite you to continue to partner with us in the service of a safe and secure school.

———

please post your comments and suggestions on this new traffic and safety scheme here and we will make sure it reaches ateneo admin.

Alcantara family plans to sue Ateneo for parking mess: Amiel Alcantara’s Death

Alcantara family plans to sue Ateneo for parking mess

Amiel Alcantara’s family is set to file a “breach of contract” charge against Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) for allegedly failing to solve the campus’s parking scheme problems, the family’s lawyer announced Friday.

Rafael Aquino, lawyer of the the Alcantaras, said the family is dissatisfied with the Ateneo’s “turtle’s pace” action in correcting safety lapses in the school’s parking and traffic scheme.

He explained that the “breach of contract” charge will be filed against Ateneo because the school is not only morally responsible, but legally liable, for the students within its grounds.

According to Amiel’s father, Jose Fernando “Pepe” Alcantara, Ateneo’s decision to beef up the number of security guards is merely a “band-aid solution,” and that the school’s actions lacked determination, a time table, and scope.

He said he wants to see Ateneo implement fast and comprehensive safety measures around the campus like constructing road humps in parking areas, improving the parking plan, fixing the sidewalks, and hiring more crossing guards instead of security guards.

read in full here: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/27/09/alcantara-family-sue-ateneo-parking-mess

Amiel Alcantara – A Man For Others

posted in this blog by Solar:

AMIEL ALCANTARA – A MAN FOR OTHERS

The story of Amiel’s lending a helping hand to another student, his desire to play fair, and his being a boy scout speak of his selflessness. Amiel lived out the spirit of being a “man for others”. He is truly a blue eagle, NOT a blue vulture.

comment posted in this blog: http://tinyurl.com/qcynt5

with “penny changes” at the AGS parking lot, ateneo ignores parents sentiments

here is one comment from an ateneo mom posted in this blog:

with “penny changes” at the ateneo parking lot, i think that amounts to ateneo ignoring the overwhelming sentiments of AGS parents. not only that, it seems the school trivialized the horrific accident that killed amiel alcantara in their parking lot.

i have re-read the comments of parents in this blog – specially those on their suggestions on how to improve safety in school. it is clear to see in those suggestions that the parents expect the school to implement what one parent calls “radical and significant changes and improvements” in the school’s traffic scheme.

with the pictures shown in this blog, it seems like no change to very minimal changes are being done at the parking lot, definitely something you cannot call “radical and significant”. that can only mean the school has ignored the sentiments of the parents.

i have talked to many other parents and even ateneo alumni like myself and all of them have said one of their top two concerns this coming school year is safety of their sons at the parking lot. (just like the survey in this blog)

from the ateneo website, i have also read the homily delivered by the jesuits during the masses for amiel. in there they mentioned how the whole community was touched by the death of amiel and how what happened has affected parents in the school.

there is a huge disconnect in what has been said to what they are now doing at the parking lots. implementing “penny changes” in the school parking lot is inconsistent with what the jesuits said they recognize to be very strong sentiments of the parents.

it is hard to understand how one can see penny changes as commensurate or being responsive to such strong emotions displayed by the parents.

one parent commented the jesuits are clueless and that they will probably not act on this. i agree with that comment.

comment posted here: http://tinyurl.com/pychoh

 

ateneo implements penny changes at the AGS parking lot, the dangers remain

an ateneo mom sent us by email pictures of the changes that have been done and are being currently done at the ateneo parking lot at the grade school campus. the ateneo mom says her son took the pictures, a photo hobyist who studies at the ateneo high school. we like to thank the ateneo mom and her high school son for sending us the pictures.

these are pictures of 3 areas – the mcbo parking area for school buses, the parking lot by the side of the irwin theater and the main area where amiel was killed to death in a traffic car accident.

even if you add up all three – they are all penny improvements which we do not think amount to adding or improving safety in that parking lot. it does not cost a lot, that is obvious but neither does it amount to anything on improving safety in the AGS parking lot.

we understand and agree with the improvements at the parking area near mcbo. ateneo placed white cement line dividers to guide vehicles on how to park properly in that area. that is a good improvement.

that change will help improve safety for parked cars and will optimize use of space. it will also eliminate fights that sometimes erupts between drivers when vehicles are not parked improperly. however, from what we remember that area is mostly used by school buses. we are not sure how much that kind of change will enhance safety in that parking area. also, what about the other parking areas in the campus, those at beside the football fields?

parking area near mcbo

the other area that has been changed somewhat is the parking area beside the irwin theater. the picture shows workings digging holes on that area. the ateneo mom who sent us the picture wrote that she thinks they will do what has been done to the main parking area where amiel died – place poles and ropes along the lane nearest to the curb. it’s hard to tell what it is for from the picture. based on the picture, it looks like they just started that this week.

parking area in front of irwin theater

the change at the main parking area where amiel died is also minimal. the only change we see there is that the lane nearest to the curb now has a rope running across the parking lot.

we do not know exactly what that is for, but the inner single lane can fit one car. it is possible they will allow cars to pass through that to probably pick up students who wait at that curbside. if we are correct about this, we predict humongous traffic on that lane as cars cannot exit that roped area, they need to wait for the cars in front of them to move and get out of the lane.

more importantly, the parking situation that got amiel killed continue to be there. there are no changes done to that 4 to 5 lane roadway where cars used to park and wait for students, exactly the same situation that got amiel killed on the same spot.

this is a puzzle for us. well, actually all three changes to us is a big puzzle. given the astronomical tuition fees paid for by parents to ateneo and the gravity of the death of amiel in that parking lot, ateneo is implementing penny changes to that parking lot where amiel died.

we think with penny changes, the dangers that killed amiel last february still exist.

main parking area where amiel died

has ateneo not learned its lesson for amiel’s death? is ateneo that calous to ignore and be deaf and insensitive to the sentiments of parents who want major changes in that parking lot?

top questions to ask on the new AGS traffic scheme

with little, major or no change, ateneo sooner or later will need to talk to the parents about the new traffic scheme that they will implement next school year. when that happens, these are the important questions they need to ask ateneo (in no particular order):

• what caused the tragic accident that killed grade 4 boy amiel alcantara?
• how does the new traffic scheme prevent, minimize or remove what caused the tragic death of amiel?
• did the school consult professionals or experts on safety and traffic management? who are they? their credentials?
• did these professionals or experts design the new traffic scheme? how much involvement did they have in its development?
• how many traffic schemes were considered? why was this chosen? if only one was considered, why so?
• what does the school plan to do with amiel’s shrine?
• if the new traffic scheme has little changes from current, why is that so? how will the new traffic scheme improve safety in school when very little changes have been done?
• why is the school doing very little structural changes or additions to the parking lot? it stands to reason that physical barriers and infrastructure changes/addition will control traffic and improve safety significantly, why are there few or little changes?
• if few/minor changes and no/very little infrastructure changes/additions, it means the school did not want to spend for these things. is this true?
• what are the school’s plans for it’s security guards – they are too few and ill-trained for the task of improving safety and preventing traffic accidents.
• does the school plan to have its own ambulance? amiel was brought to the hospital through the kindness of another ateneo mom, that should not happen again.
• does the school have an emergency response plan/program? the amiel accident showed it did  not have one.

everyone is welcome to add to this list, will post it here.

it is important to ask the tough questions as this concerns the safety of our sons at the ateneo parking lot. what happened to amiel was a very painful experience for all of us parents and our sons, the school needs to learn it’s lesson and seriously change things for the better at the parking lot.  just to remind everyone that this is no small matter, the changes that they will do to the new traffic scheme will mean the safety or no safety of our sons at thee parking lot.

an ateneo mom: we need more than rules for safety

I just got the 2009-2010 car sticker this week and I noted that a separate sheet was asked to be signed aside from the usual application for the sticker. The sheet states that I understood the traffic/parking rules and regulations of the Ateneo and that upon entering the campus I automatically agree to follow those regulations and pay the corresponding fines when I violate any of them. Then another sheet was handed out which contained the new traffic/parking rules and regulations.

Though the print was quite microscopic for me, I read through it and found that they even included how the new traffic signs would appear and what they meant.

One of the questions that I had in mind was regarding the speed limit. It said 30 kph along the driveways and 10kph in the parking lots. Will the guards be able to tell if a vehicle was moving above the limits? And even in Amiel’s case, only in the courts will the speed of Torres van be determined because it has already snuffed out an innocent boy’s life.

I know Ateneo is trying to appear to be more strict by coming out with this minor changes but what we need is a physical and / or structural development that will once and for all separate the students from the moving vehicles.

 -comment on this post: http://tinyurl.com/cyhko5

all of the vehicles that go inside the ateneo campus pass through metro manila streets and it’s easy to see that what works there are not just traffic rules, not even the presence of traffic enforcers, but barriers.

i am not a total fan of the MMDA but the way they have managed our streets is through structural changes. they removed obstructions to improve flow, they added barriers to direct traffic, opened up islands to allow u-turns and  applied small road humps to slow down traffic. the point is they did structural changes on the roads either by adding, removing, opening up or closing up the roadways.

sure they added traffic personnel but we are all witness to the fact that just having traffic enforcers is not enough. it does not work all the time. what seems to work on metro manila streets is the combination of first structural changes/additions plus traffic enforcers.

why should the solution inside the ateneo campus be different from what is being done in metro manila streets? they are exactly the same drivers who are in metro manila streets and inside the campus.

it’s a sad thought, but i think ateneo is simply just saving money in not doing any structural changes at the AGS parking lot. i am very disappointed that ateneo is saving money over ensuring the safety of ateneo grade school students in that parking lot.

is the money ateneo saving worth the next life of a boy that will be taken at the AGS parking lot?

an ateneo mom: parents need to be involved

Were safety experts consulted by the AGS multi-stakeholder committee ? Ateneo parents should get more involved about the matter and not just leave everything to the committee. Or are most of them just indifferent ? Kawawa talaga si Amiel !

comment made by an ateneo mom: http://tinyurl.com/cgmldr

we do not know the composition of the multi-stakeholder committee. aside from the initial announcement that ateneo will be forming a committee to look into the safety at the parking lot, no other announcement was made by the school. we also do not know what work has been done.

but based on the fact that nothing new has been done at the parking lot, it’s either the multi-stakeholder committee has not done any work or they do not intend to change anything in the traffic scheme being implemented in the school.

the most logical of course is that they should have consulted experts on safety. we go to experts for specific problems beyond our own capabilities. as parents, we see doctors when our sons are sick. we consult lawyers if it is a legal problem. in this case, this is about safety in the parking lot, architects and engineers are the experts to go to.

did the committee consult experts and professionals? we do not know. but i suppose we will know very soon. it is reasonable to expect that the school will need to let parents know what their plans are. when that happens, parents need to be vigilant and ask all the right and yes, tough questions on what they want to do in that parking lot.

this much i can say — if there are no changes in that parking lot, the same danger that got amiel killed is still there. kawawa naman si amiel and the next child who will meet an accident there.

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