MORE Power bolstered #IloiloBikeCapitalPH with a bike affair organized February 28, 2021.
MORE Power bolstered #IloiloBikeCapitalPH with a bike affair dubbed as “Bisikleta ko, Ka Date Ko!” – a post-Valentine’s Day show of affection and adoration between the biker and their bikes.
The bike fun ride and fund drive was aligned to MORE Power Iloilo’s significant milestone, its 2nd Year Anniversary as a power distribution service provider of Iloilo City following the signing of Republic Act 11212 by President Rodrigo R. Duterte or the franchise law that granted MORE Power Iloilo the authority to distribute electricity to end-users for 25-years.
The signing of RA 11212 incidentally falls on February 14, a Valentine’s Day; as such, the event was commemorated with dating – “Bisikleta ko, Ka Date Ko!” – bikers pedaling while tightly holding the handle bars of their bikes as a show of love a day before the close of February Love Month.
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MORE Power Iloilo’s president and chief operating officer Roel Z. Castro opened the fun ride by declaring “let’s have fun” on a Sunday while prizes and surprise give aways awaits participants upon arrival at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.”
Bisikleta ko, Ka Date Ko! totaled 28km
MORE Power bolstered #IloiloBikeCapitalPH for the fun ride that totaled 28-kilometers passed through major streets and highways, historical landmarks, plazas, public markets, and the city’s old and new business district.
Early dawn or around 5:00 in the morning, bikers from different places in the city and neighboring towns started to converge at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand in front of the Iloilo River and with the lighted landmark of the newly-restored heritage structure that is the Aduana Building.
The ride kicked-off by 6:00 A.M. and the biking contingent passed through the Muelle Loney waterfront area up to Fort San Pedro, passing the old houses along the way to Plaza Libertad and through J.M. Basa – Iznart Streets – the main streets of the downtown area where heritage buildings are still standing.
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It then passed through the Arroyo Fountain, a landmark that indicates Kilometer Zero. They were already traversing Gen. Luna St. 20-minutes from the assembly area passing Iloilo City’s major universities up to Molo and on to Villa Arevalo District where the end of Corazon C. Aquino Avenue (Circumferential Road) intersects at Jocson Drive.
The more than 1,400 bikers navigated half of the length of the Circumferential Road and turned right at the corner of Jibao-an Perimeter Boundary terminal to Mandurriao district through Guzman and up to R. Mapa Sts. turning left to the Iloilo Business Park of the Megaworld, a site-seeing ride on the ongoing development in the area.
The group turned right upon the corner where the Gen. Martin Delgado statue is standing, then moved towards the crossing Taft North, a main intersection of the Benigno Aquino Avenue and this time going to the heart of Jaro district.
It the passed the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral and the Archbishop’s Residence and they cycled through the long linear street of Commission Civil that connects to Burgos St. of La Paz district passing the Plaza, Public Market, and circuited through the small road of Rizal St. to go back to Muelle Loney, and to Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.
The members of the Dumangas Bikers Association (DUMBA) served as marshals together with five bike groups.
MORE Power bolstered #IloiloBikeCapitalPH with 1,407 bikers
The bike event of MORE Power was considered to have bolstered #IloiloBikeCapitalPH after 1,407 to around 1,500 joined in based from the registration tally. These number of participants is regular for Iloilo City’s organized weekend fun rides earning the center of Iloilo Province the title as “The Most Bike Friendly City in the Philippines” in 2018.
The biker participants in “Bisikleta ko, Ka Date Ko!” also showed the diversity and range of bikers in Iloilo City.
Biker ranges from bike hobbyists and road sharing advocates; leisure, recreational and health bikers; artists; officials and workers from private sector; government personnel from various LGUs; professionals, media people; PWDs with a group of deaf persons-bikers present, and bike groups, including the newly-formed bike team by MORE Power Iloilo.
Women bikers were prominent during the event with some riding with their partners and spouses or with siblings and relatives.
Among the oldest who participated was an 83 year old Antonio Jaime, born March 30, 1938. He won the Oldest Biker special prize. On the other hand, a 7-year old biker bagged the Youngest Biker special prize.
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Mountain bike units was also raffled among those who registered and a total of 10 bikes were released during the program. Nine bikes were raffled out from the registration forms while one mountain bike was presented as a prize for a biker who carry an official receipt to the event. A female biker secured the bright green mountain bike after showing an official receipt from a monthly bill that she paid MORE Power Iloilo.
The “Bisikleta ko, Ka Date Ko!” fun ride and fund drive was organized by MORE Power Iloilo in support of effort for Iloilo as the Bike Capital of the Philippines or #IloiloBikeCapitalPH.
The support gathered from the fund drive will be turned over to the Iloilo City Government for bike lane maintenance and beautification of bike infrastructure.
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*Photos used in this article are photo grab from the Facebook live video by MORE Power Iloilo.