TACLOBAN CITY – Two separate rides are to be held this weekend that will start in this city as part of the activities for the 9th commemoration of the onslaught of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’.
Today (Nov.5), the Office of Civil Defense(OCD) will lead the ‘Resilience Ride’ with about 500 bike riders from all over the region joining the fund-raising activity to give tribute to fallen heroes during the devastation of the super typhoon that battered the region on November 8, 2012.
The rider will start converging at the Tacloban Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport at 5 am.
The resilience ride has two routes. One for the big bikes or 400cc motorbikes, traveling from the DZR Airport going to the towns of Javier, Dagami, Santa Fe, Palo, then to the Holy Cross memorial cemetery, where the more than 2,200 people from this city who perished during the onslaught of Yolanda were buried.
For the 399cc below or smaller motorbikes, the ride will also start from the DZR Airport going to the towns of Babatngon town, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Palo then to the Holy Cross memorial cemetery.
OCD Assistant Regional Director Rey Gozon said that the bikers will be grouped into 20 members to easily manage and control their speed.
Resilience Ride participants will only be allowed to have a maximum speed of 80 kph.
Personnel from the Highway Patrol Group of the Philippine National Police will supervise the riders to ensure that no one will exceed the maximum speed; safety of the participants, and that no other bikers who are not part of the ride could join the group.
Gozon added that their office also coordinated with the provincial government of Leyte, municipal stations, and local government units for the safety of riders and pedestrians while the participants are traversing the towns.
On Sunday, the Cycling for Climate Justice will also have their own ride activity that will start at the Balyuan grounds with more than 500 participants.
The riders will cover the 31.6 kms Palo-Tacloban route and back which will start at 4 am.
The cyclists’ route will include areas that were devastated massively due to storm surge: Anibong district, Payapay, and San Jose, all in this city; and Baras, Candahug and Salvacion, all in Palo.
“One of the purpose of this ride is for the voices of the cyclists and pedestrians to be heard. That bicycle is an alternative means of transport and an emergency response vehicle,” Judah Aliposa of Firefly Brigade, Inc., and Regional Development Council VIII member for Private Sector Representatives for disaster resilience, said.
Aliposa added that anyone may join the cycling ride but must wear protective gear.
Aliposa added that the synchronized cycling event this Sunday will also happen in the cities of Catbalogan and Borongan.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
