Two years ago, I had the opportunity to revisit Iloilo City and was totally amazed at how it has transformed beautifully and progressed in terms of economic and infrastructure development. I was particularly impressed by the well-thought construction of bike lanes that seamlessly merge with the city’s urban architecture and has made it easier for people to use bicycles as an alternative means of transportation — long before the lockdowns caused by COVID 19. It is no wonder that Iloilo has been dubbed as “the bike capital of the Philippines.”
Today we enter another month of the pandemic and the things that we associate with “normalcy” such as readily available public transportation is not bound to happen anytime soon. It is a difficult pill to swallow that the world as we know it has changed in drastic ways and that all of us have to adjust to an uncertain future; albeit an exciting one too as the crisis has yielded new opportunities in which we can improve and better our society.
And this brings me to the subject of bikes and biking as an alternative means of transportation which should be strengthened and supported by our government authorities, as it were, in other countries such as in Scandinavia whose love and respect for bikes is something worth emulating.
Thus for all the seemingly lack of empathy by some government agencies towards the mass-riding public, it is laudable that the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) has come around to support our biking brethren through its initiative of providing bike lanes for people who feel that public transportation may not give them a measure of safety in this era of the COVID 19 pandemic or for those who want a more readily available and economical means of transportation (with the exercising benefits and a personal boost to a cleaner air/ environment as a plus).
In a video of bike lane supporters and advocates posted at the DOTr Facebook page, various bike advocates and cyclists shared their ideas on the importance of these bike lanes and encouraged the government to be “bold in its implementation” and to think of it as a beginning of making the city more livable.
Arman Lee, of the Bike for Work Pilipinas expressed fervent support, on behalf of BWP, in the setting up by DOTr of popup bicycle lanes along EDSA. He proposed also for more permanent bicycle lanes and believes that this will be a big help to all biker workers who are plying north to south of NCR by using this shorter route and that safety measures be implemented to protect the bikers.
Ian How, a computer programmer and popular YouTuber who showcases his memorable bicycle journeys in his YT channel, said that a long-term solution to bikers’ woes is the enactment into law of Senate Bill 285 – Bicycle Act of 2019 sponsored by Senator Pia Cayetano who is also a biking enthusiast. The bill acts to promote and recognize bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation.
Ian laments the present-day lack of cycling infrastructure and facilities in the country. “There are very few bike lanes. There are some in the major cities like QC and Marikina and Pasig but there are lots of problems in the existing bike lanes. Some motorists occupy those bike lanes by making it their parking lots. If not, it’s being used by motorcycle riders, or being occupied by street vendors,” he said.
Moreover according to Jack Yabut of the Bisikleta ng Pilipinas Coalition, “with these safe bike lanes, we can encourage more Filipinos to take up cycling, to solve our environmental, health, and transportation problems.”
But there is also the romance and adventure of biking that somehow is not mentioned often. Ian personally attests to this having taken a 3-Day Bike ride from Manila to Sagada, Mountain Province via Banaue Rice Terraces, with his biking buddies. He shares, “On our first day we cycled from Manila to Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya (220 km). Took us about 16 hours to complete day one. Day two was shorter, approx. 120 km, but much more difficult than what we did on day one. Mostly mountainous terrain and it was raining all day. Third day was the shortest, only 60km to Sagada, but still the terrains are mostly climbing.”
His group also pedaled their way to Bicol at another time and what was most memorable according to him were the stopovers: “We would stop during meal and snack time. We encountered intermittent stormy and sunny weather, which caused us to take shelter, wear and remove raincoats. We also brought our own drones during this ride. Whenever we feel like we’re in a scenic location (which is a lot when you’re on your way to Bicol) we would set up to fly our drones. Which could take about 30-45 minutes setting up, flying and packing them back” he enthused.
There is really more to biking than meets the eye. Not only is it a basic and practical transport but it could be leisure and fun as well. And in these times when we have gone back to the basics – home, family, health, safety and service to others, it is noteworthy to look at all the possibilities that life has to offer, particularly at biking and breaking out of the “normal state of things” to try out new ways by which we can live through and overcome this pandemic.
You may reach the author at [email protected].
