Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Volvo in the Philippines, has partnered with De La Salle University (DLSU) to establish the Volvo Safety Labs, aiming to pilot real-world road safety innovations within local communities. The collaboration was formalized with a Memorandum of Understanding signed on May 30, 2025, at the Volvo Philippines office in Makati City. The signing took place during the inaugural Voice of Volvo forum, which gathered safety advocates from both the government and private sector to explore new strategies for safer mobility.
The Volvo Safety Labs will be located at the Richard L. Lee Engineering and Technology Block on the DLSU Laguna Campus, a facility established with support from HARI. This hub will serve as a center for students and researchers to develop and test solutions aimed at preventing road accidents.
This partnership is a cornerstone of Volvo Philippines’ new national campaign, “Volvo: Being Alive,” which strives for a future with zero traffic accidents. The campaign moves beyond vehicle-centric safety, promoting a culture of shared responsibility among all road users, including drivers, commuters, and pedestrians. “We envision a culture shift in the Filipino—to see ourselves as stewards of public transformation,” stated HARI President and CEO Maria Fe Perez-Agudo. She emphasized that collective responsibility and collaboration are key to building a safer future.
Echoing this sentiment, DLSU Vice President for Research and Innovation, Prof. Raymond Girard R. Tan, said the project will challenge “brilliant minds at DLSU to push the boundaries of road safety and engineer solutions that make every Filipino ‘Volvo-safe.’” The “Being Alive” campaign will also feature public activities and academic forums to educate the public on their role in creating safer roads for everyone.