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MANILA, Philippines – Keisten Nonan died last August 21, 2017 after hitting the ground due to uneven road conditions on San Mateo road.
Keisten, 16, was riding his motorcycle to a basketball game when he encountered a tricycle approaching his way. While trying to avoid the tricycle, he skidded and fell to the ground due to the the uneven road.
A rescue team tried to revive Keisten but failed due to excessive bleeding from the strong impact of his head striking the pavement.
His father, Joaquin Nonan, took to social media to express his frustration over the preventable road condition that led to his son’s death.
//Para sa kaalaman ng DPWH ma’am/sir, Isa po akong AMA at namatayan ng Isang mahal sa buhay. Ma’am/sir ako poy humihingi ng pansin nyo. Please Lang po patay napo ang anak ko dahil sa Daanan na di po nyo inaayos. Sumemplang po ang anak ko sa kalsadang Mas mataas ang shoulder Lane. Baka hindi Lang po anak ko ang mamamatay Kung dipo nyo inayos ito. Way of San mateo before PNU, sir/ma’am para po sa inyong kaalaman. Hindi langg po pala anak ko ang nadisgrasya dito Backus sya po ang pangatlo. Ma’am/sir antayin nyo pabang may implowensyadong tao na magreklamo sa inyo at magising kayo. Sana anak ko napo ang huling madisgrasya dito. Paayos naman po. Ang Daan ng San Mateo road. Kaliwa po galing Kang bayan. Start po duon Mas mataas po ang shoulder Lane kesa inner Lane. Pag gumilid ka dahil may kasalubong ka at tumatakbo ka kahit 30KPH. Tiyak sesemplang ka. Dahil hindi kakayanin ng gulong ang 2inches na taas ng kalsada. Sir DPWH Alicia. Pasuyo naman paayos salamat
Posted by Joaquin Nonan on Saturday, August 26, 2017
Joaquin shares that his son’s case is not the first casualty on that road. He shared that his cousin was injured in a crash on that road too. Furthermore, 3 other people were reported to have died on that same road.
“Three months before nagpapaalam ang anak ko kumuha ng motor. Hindi ko pinayagan kasi sabi ko na kahit saan sa Pilipinas, marami ang naaksidente na nakamotor. Ayaw kong maging isa siya doon.” he said. (READ: Road deaths in PH: Most are motorcycle riders, pedestrians )
(Three months ago, he asked permission from me to get his own motorcycle. I didn’t allow him because of the number of motorcycle crash incidents in the country. I don’t want him to be one of that.)
However, to his surprise, his son was able to immediately get his own motorcycle from SYM motorcycles despite being a minor. He adds in frustration how the motorcycle given to his son was registered to another name or was second hand.
He shares how they do not know where to get support knowing that his son did something illegal by riding a motorcycle as a minor.
“Aminado po ako walang laban ang anak ko kasi menor de edad. 16 years old pa lang at walang kaukulang dokumento para magdala ng motorsiklo,” he told Rappler.
(I admit that my child has no right to argue because he rode a motorcycle as a minor. He’s only 16 years old and does not have any document to support why he was riding the motorcycle.)
While he still can’t accept the fact that he lost his child, he continues to hope that responsible agencies will finally take action.
Unfinished project
DPWH’s Maintenance Chief Maribel Socam from Isabela 3rd District said that the road is a result of an unfinished widening project.
Because the funds needed for the continuation of the project was not included in the regular infrastructure funding of the road board, the construction was halted. Since 2016, a big portion of the road has not been overlayed making it uneven and crash prone.
“We’ve been constantly bringing this problem up on the road board. We even sent a letter last 2016 and have been following up last February and July this year.” Socam told Rappler in a phone interview.
Joaquin hopes his son will be the last victim of that road.
“Nananawagan ako na sana ito na ang huling aksidente [sa lugar na iyon], Hindi ko matanggap..Ako bilang isang ama. Ibang iba ang pakiramdam nang mawalan ng isang anak…Sana po ito ang huli. Maraming buhay na po ang ang nawala diyan.“
(I am hoping that this will be the last accident in that area. I can’t accept it as a father. The feeling is different when you lose your child. I hope this will be the last. There were a lot of lives lost from that road.)
He adds, in tears, “Kung lagi kayong ganyan, maghihintay pa ba kayo ng maimpluwensyang tao para gumalaw kayo? Ayusin niyo po ang mga probema na nakakaapekto sa bayan.”
(Will you still wait for an influential person to be a victim before you do something? Fix the problems that affect the nation.) – Rappler.com
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