The Push for a "Bike-Friendly" Philippines

cycling is fun.

    Cycling has always proven to be a fun and enjoyable sport that basically anyone can have a hand in. Everyone says that once you learn how to ride a bike for the first time, you basically never forget how for the rest of your life. Indeed, the bicycle is known as one of the most environmentally friendly alternatives in personal transport and a brilliantly practical tool for exercise. Every country has their own cycling cultures and sets of policies for cyclists; however, the Philippines isn't what I call a "friendly" place for casual cyclists. 

    You see, The Philippines developed in such a way that its infrastructure and roadway systems can only accommodate cars and motorized vehicles; cycling in the Urban Philippines can be very dangerous. This is true to a fact where cycling is mostly a professional sport rather than casual transport, with very limited routes and options for Filipino cyclists to choose from. Living in Angono, Rizal, for example, the uphill roads and scenic views make it a very popular place for many cyclists (like my dad and his friends) to venture through and forth on occasion. State Universities and some Public Parks have also served as safer havens for cyclists; I personally used to cycle laps around the University of the Philippines' "Academic Oval" in the weekends.

     The impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines basically made booms to the popularity of cycling amongst Filipinos as a way to escape the strict lockdown restrictions, get out of the house, and have a good session of exercise while on the daily commute. The Philippine Government has even showed its support to cycling with the Inter-Agency Task Force Against Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approving cycling under lockdown guidelines and pushing for local governments to establish bike lanes; the Malacañang encouraging cycling for Filipinos to save money against rising fuel costs; and even President Rodrigo Duterte declaring the fourth Saturday of November to be "National Bike Day" last November 2020. Yet, improving the quality of cycling life in the Philippines still has a long way to go.

     Unlike other Asian countries like Japan, China, and Singapore, the Philippines has not invested much in making sure life is safer for cyclists in the roads and streets. Using Singapore as an example, their government has put great emphasis in integrating cycling as part of daily life, promoting bikes as a formal form of transportation in addition to exercise and leisure cycling; furthermore, the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) states that the government aims to expand cycling mobility and establish around 1300km of cycling paths by 2030 and introduce vast infrastructural improvements to better connect towns and have greater ease and convenience for cyclists of all ages and levels of proficiencies. 

    Drivers and motorists rule as kings in the roads of Metro manila, with some calling cyclists obstacles making the roads more hazardous for them. Bike lanes before the pandemic are very rare or unanimously ignored by everyone driving; smaller residential streets away from major highways are crammed with cars using sidewalks as makeshift sidewalks; intense fluctuating traffic is widespread; and the chances of getting hit by a car being very high. Since the pandemic basically restricted most forms of public transportation, cycling has become a life saver for most people who are commuting to work or getting essential needs, which basically is part of the greater reason that cycling has become increasingly popular in recent times since the pandemic has started.

    It is only very recently, when the pandemic struck Metro Manila and put everything in a standstill, that the national and local governments have worked together to vigorously reform and establish better systems for cycling to be safer and more convenient for Filipinos as many take it as now part of their daily life in a time most forms of public transportation are heavily restricted, and high fuel prices make driving a car or motorcycle a very expensive endeavor for those now put in financial uncertainty. Cycling in the Philippines is growing to become more and more accessible for the people as the world slowly and carefully transitions to the new normal. In my opinion, cycling infrastructure will become a more prevalent issue within the discussions of environmental sustainability and protection, economic development, infrastructure growth, public health and safety reform, and the general post-pandemic recovery and transition plans.

     The Philippine Government has made many plans to increasing and rectifying infrastructure to better suiting the needs of cyclists for their safety and convenience, allocating a lot of resources into various projects through the Bayanihan We Heal as One Act. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced last March that from the bike lane network project spanning over 500km, only around 19% of it is complete so far. Many groups have criticized the Philippine Government for being very slowed and delayed in working on better active mobility infrastructure, which is a very common complaint against the national government for any form of infrastructure vital for people, like healthcare and the internet.

    Despite of this, local governments have been very successful in making great progress in their Active Transportation initiatives. Quezon City passed the Safe Cycling and Active Transport Ordinance, established new bike lanes with plans to expand the current 55KM bike network to 161KM, and launched a bike registration program to combat cases of bike theft and loss within the city. Cebu City announced a few weeks ago that they are around 80% finished setting up and opening bike lanes and routes as part of their Bike Lane Network and started apprehending motorists for failing to share the roads with other bikers and cyclists. Finally, in addition to the 27 roads that have been upgraded and opened for cyclists, Davao City announced that they will be establishing additional bike lines in six areas of the city with all having distinct markings and signages to ensure safety for bikers. 

    These are just some examples of the pushes local governments have made along side the DOTr in efforts of expanding Active Transport systems in the country. This is not only to make more alternatives to public transportation against the COVID-19 Pandemic, but also to aid in resolving other issues that have heavily afflicted the Philippines like air pollution and reducing our carbon footprint, heavy traffic, public health, rising fuel costs, and also obliterating the awkwardness of being in public transportation with other passengers.

   There is a great benefit for local governments to be investing in Active and Alternative Public Transportation systems for their residents. Encouraging people to ride their bikes going around and about can do a lot of awesome things for a local economy, especially if tourism and hospitality are very much the center of the whole local economy. I have watched Chris Broad's "Journey Across Japan | 2,000KM Cycle Series" and see it as a great result if governments invested more in making roads safer for cyclists and people have much more considerate mindset in terms of sharing the road with anyone using the bike lanes. Hell, imagine the sheer potential the Philippines has a cyclist tourism hub, and the opportunities local and small businesses have seeing a new influx of cyclists from the country and beyond taking in the picturesque and scenic sites of the Philippines. 

        Cycling is great! Active Transportation is great! It is now going to become a larger part of our lives as we transition into the new normal. I would love to bike around my neighborhood without the worry of being hit by a car, or have my bike stolen. In this day and age, not a lot of people within my generation (Gen X?) are definitely more conscious environmentally, physically, mentally, and socially. A lot of our lives revolve within social media now, and big online trends like aesthetic minimalism, "sustainable" and "zero-waste" living , and the general hippy dippy lifestyle have taken the world in waves. 

    The Philippines, being a country centered in servicing the needs Automobile because it has embedded itself greatly in our daily lives, turning towards investing in bicycles, e-scooters, and other forms of active transportation just shows how much the pandemic brought forth the need for heavy reform and changes in every aspect of society. From the largest national issues of Public Healthcare, Education, and National Defense, to smaller and more personal issues like your daily routine, keeping up with friends, and thinking on what the hell you are going to plan for the next day. 

       We are looking at questions that have been asked generations before the COVID-19 Pandemic even popped up as a mere concept in our world today, and what we are experiencing now is part of the consequences that will happen if we do not act quickly enough to answer and resolve important issues that need to be slammed on the table. In the Philippines today, a big headline of a national issue will only stay relevant for a week. The entire legal cannabis debate in the Philippines is a glaring example of that; the topic was only relevant because the big names mentioned it in passing and only lasted a few weeks because we were too slow to act upon it, despite cannabis being a part of the issue within the War on Drugs. 

       As Filipinos going through great hardships, we cannot afford to let critical issues fly by us like that. We need to look into the long term consequences of the cards being dealt with us and act accordingly, which is the jobs of the government officials we have elected and put in office. The issue of bike lanes and active transportation may seem like a very negligible, but the greater consequences that will very much definitely occur in the long run cannot be ignored. And no, I'm not talking about longer traffic time, though that is valid. 

        TL;DR: In great consideration of the times we are in, and what we could currently do in terms of preparing for the transition towards the New Normal and the post-pandemic life, we really need to continue the push for a "bike-friendly" Philippines.