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| (Image Source: CNN Philippines) |
Starting this year, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has officially declared that every fourth Sunday of November will be National Bicycle Day under Presidential Proclamation No. 1052. Issued on November 18, 2020 and signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, the proclamation states that the declaration will highlight the importance of non-motorized transportation as a means of fostering sustainable development and promoting environmental health that is conducive to the physical health and well-being of Filipinos.
The petition for the proclamation of National Bicycle Day in the Philippines, which is more than six years in the making, began back in January 2014 when the National Bicycle Organization requested then Philippine President Benigno Aquino III for the said proclamation. The request was then filed as an Executive Order through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) before being approved. The observance of the National Bicycle Day, under Proclamation No. 1052, will be led by the DENR in partnership with relevant non-government organizations and civil society groups.
Through the years, several Filipinos have turned to cycling in order to stay healthy while travelling through cities. It has always been a cost-effective way to foster sustainable development because it has zero fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Additionally, cycling also helps prevent the spread of COVID-19, give and take. In fact, during the Department of Health's June 3rd virtual presser, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire said, "hindi lamang alternatibong paraan ng transportasyon ang bisikleta, ang palagiang pagbibisikleta ay ehersisyo din na makakatulong upang tumaas ang ating immune system, na lalo tayong inihahanda sa paglaban sa COVID-19 virus."
On the other hand, in the same virtual presser, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary Goddess Hope Libiran stated that a joint administrative order is being reviewed by the DOTr, DILG, DPWH and DOH to identify guidelines for the use and promotion of active transport both during and after the pandemic. "Hindi lamang sa pag-maintain ng physical distancing, but at the same time this will deliver substantial environmental and health benefits and achieve efficient use of road space. DOTr is very committed to support initiatives to develop more facilities to make biking safer," Libiran added. Among these initiatives is the implementation of bike lanes along EDSA which took place last August 15 in coordination with the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and were placed in the following major sections across the country: Aurora-Santolan, Santolan-Ortigas, Ortigas-Shaw, Shaw-Guadalupe, Guadalupe-Buendia and Buendia-Magallanes.
Taking off from the success of the EDSA bike lanes, the DOTr is then planning to create a 295-kilometer bike lane throughout Metro Manila provided that there will be enough funding for the project. According to DOTr Assistant Secretary Steve Pastor in a virtual briefing held last August 19, the funding for the project slated to cover eight circumferential roads - C1, C2, C3, C4, EDSA line, C5, C5 extension, C6 - and eight radial roads - R1, R2, R10, R4, R5, R9 - may come through the Bayanihan 2 Act and will be in accordance with the Metro Manila-wide bike lane network. Aside from EDSA, other areas in the Philippines with prominent bike lanes include Iloilo, Taguig, Pasig, Parañaque, Pampanga and Bacolod.
