Cycling in the Philippines

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bikers along Bengino S. Aquino Avenue in Baliuag, Bulacan.

Cycling is a popular mode of transport and recreational sport in the Philippines. In the present day, many of those who cycle in the country mainly do so as a mode of transport and as recreational activities, such as road racing, mountain biking, and recreational cycling. The popularity of cycling however, has largely been limited to the more rural areas of the Philippines with underdeveloped, open roads with less motorist traffic as a result of little to no cycling infrastructure in urban areas, making cycling in such areas dangerous due to motorized traffic.

However, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension and restriction of public transport in the country, many Filipinos turned to cycling as an alternative mode of transportation, accelerating the development and promotion of active transportation infrastructure in urban areas.

History[]

Colonial era[]

Bicycles were first introduced to the country in the 1880s, among other 20th century technologies introduced during the Spanish colonial occupation of the Philippines.[1] American author Joseph Earle Stevens, who was living in Manila at the time, described cycling as a booming mode of transport on the streets of Manila, especially among the local mestizo population, as well as bicycle races that took place in Luneta, Manila in his journal entries in 1894.[2] While in exile in Dapitan, Philippine national hero Jose Rizal wrote a letter on December 18, 1895 to his mother, requesting her to buy him a second-hand bicycle that he could use for his trips to town.[3]

Following the Spanish Empire's secession of the Philippines to the United States, bicycles made in the United States found their way into the local streets. A 1902 ordinance made by the Philippine Commission on the use of public streets and places in Manila also mentioned the use of bicycles as a mode of transport, being required to adhere to traffic ordinances and regluations, yield at crossings, and carry a light and bell at all times. Bicycle registration also took place, with over 2,000 bikes being registered until registration was halted in 1906. The use of bicycles as a recreational activity were marketed in the country as early as the 1920s, with a July 1926 issue of the Philippine Education Magazine promoting bicycle-riding as an economic mode of transport with health benefits. [4]

Commonwealth and WWII era[]

It was estimated that by 1942, there were over 12,750 bicycles being used as a mode of transport by Manila's then population of 9,000 people, including those in the outlying areas.[5] During the second World War and the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, the Imperial Japanese Army used bicycle infantry to move around and carry weaponry such as machine guns.

Imperial Japanese Army soldiers entering Manila on bicycles, as the city surrenders to the Japanese and declares itself an "open city" to prevent further destruction.

By 1944, the occupying Japanese forces seized many carts, bicycles, tricycles, pedicabs, and pushcarts from the local population, crippling local public transportation.[5]

Post-WWII[]

Since then, the bicycle continued to serve as a mode of transport for Filipinos, but dwarfed by the popularity of the automobile, motorized tricycles, and the jeepney as a primary mode of transport. As a result, the use of bicycles became more limited to areas with little motorized road traffic, as cycling remained popular as a sport and for cyclotourism.[6]

As the road system and inefficient public transportation struggled to cope with population booms and increasing car ownership, people across different socioeconomic backgrounds turned to cycling as a mode of transport. However, the lack of cycling infrastructure in cities has caused many altercations between bicycles and motorized vehicles, leading to growing clamor for active transportation infrastructure to alleviate traffic in cities.[7]

Bike lanes established along the sidewalk of Marcos Highway in Santolan, Pasig.

This has led to the localized implementation of cycling infrastructure and initiatives in some cities, such as Marikina City and Pasig City in Metro Manila, Iloilo City in Iloilo, and Vigan City in Ilocos Sur,[8] while other cities such as Mandaluyong included plans to establish bike routes around their cities.[9]

COVID-19 pandemic[]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, public transport was suspended and subsequently reopened at a limited capacity. As a result, cycling as a mode of transport grew in popularity among Filipinos who needed means to go to and from their workplace safely and efficiently. This, alongside the decreased road traffic in many urban areas as a result of the community quarantine classifications led to the fast-tracked development of active transport infrastructure, such as protected bike lanes and bike parking amidst the pandemic, further encouraging bike ridership.[10]

On April 16, 2020, Pasig City became the first local government unit in the country to recognize biking as an essential mode of transport, wherein it passed city resolutions and executive orders for the pavement of bike lanes and allowing the reopening of bicycle shops, which were previous considered as non-essential under the community quarantine restrictions.[11][12]

With the country transitioning into the looser general community quarantine and in anticipation of people returning to work, the MMDA, in coordination with cyclists and scooter riders pushing for permanent active transport infrastructure, conducted a dry run of pop-up bike lanes along EDSA, the main thoroughfare in Metro Manila on July 3, 2020, coinciding with World Bicycle Day. The agency also vowed to support the provision of bike lanes across the metropolis.[13] On the same day, San Juan also formally launched its own bike lanes.[14]

The Department of Transportation announced on November 28, coinciding with National Bicycle Day,[15] that it would be working with Google to push for the inclusion of its national bike lane network into Google Maps.[16]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Reyes, Raquel (2012). "Modernizing the Manileña: Technologies of conspicuous consumption for the well-to-do woman, circa 1880s—1930s". Modern Asian Studies. 26: 194 – via JSTOR.
  2. ^ Stevens, Joseph Earle (1898). Yesterdays in the Philippines. Project Gutenberg. pp. 27, 31.
  3. ^ "Howie Severino: Rizal's wish for a second-hand bicycle". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  4. ^ Giron, Brian Paul (2020-10-04). "Finding bikes in our history". Cycling Matters. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  5. ^ a b Danquah, Francis (2005). "Reports on Philippine Industrial Crops in World War II from Japan's English Language Press". Agricultural History. 79: 79–80 – via JSTOR.
  6. ^ "Cyclotourism in the Philippines". Manila Bulletin. 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  7. ^ Interaksyon (2017-04-26). "CYCLING Not fun in the Philippines". Interaksyon. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  8. ^ "Creating sustainable transport systems: PH's progress so far". Rappler. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  9. ^ Mandaluyong City Land Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance 2017-2032 (PDF). Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. August 23, 2017. pp. 61, 79–80. Retrieved October 5, 2021.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  10. ^ "As cycling booms during pandemic, advocates pedal toward sustainable transport". Rappler. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  11. ^ "Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution No. 59, Series of 2020". Facebook. April 6, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Reysio-Cruz, DJ Yap, Matthew (2020-05-14). "Pasig City makes busy streets safer for bikers". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  13. ^ Ong, Ghio. "MMDA holds dry run for bicycle lane on EDSA". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  14. ^ News, G. M. A. "San Juan to launch pop-up bike lanes as Metro Manila transitions to GCQ". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  15. ^ Esguerra, Darryl John (2020-11-19). "Duterte declares fourth Sunday of November as National Bicycle Day". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  16. ^ Mercurio, Richmond. "DOTr wants bike lanes included on Google maps". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2021-11-30.


Retrieved from ""