MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has declared the fourth Sunday of November of every year as “National Bicycle Day” in an effort to promote non-motorized transportation and to ensure ecological integrity and a clean and healthy environment.
Proclamation 1052 proclaims, “The need to 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 all Filipinos.”
Meanwhile, the Philippines Development Plan until 2022 promotes the Clean Air Act that mandates the state to focus on pollution prevention rather than control.
The plan seeks to establish a clean and healthy environment by promoting eco-friendly technologies, systems and practices.
Proclamation 1052 also provides that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will be tasked to lead the observance of the National Bicycle Day and celebration in coordination with relevant non-government organizations and civil society groups.
All government agencies and instrumentalities and the private sector are enjoined to participate and render the necessary support to the DENR.
The bicycle was one of the modes of transportation approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases as Metro Manila was placed under general community quarantine.
The government encourages biking for transportation, noting that the two-wheeled vehicle is also cheaper as bikes do not need gasoline to run.
And while public transportation has been limited due to the pandemic, the bicycle will also be a big help for the public.