Bike for Livelihood project goes to Quezon City

MANILA, Philippines — It was a showcase of private-public-NGO partnership in action when the Metro Pacific Investment Foundation (MPIF) and the MVP Group’s Bike for Livelihood project rolled into Quezon City on Sunday morning and turned over 60 bikes and biking gear to residents.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte hailed the partnership – an undertaking of the MVP Group together with broadcast journalist Gretchen Ho’s Donate a Bike, Save a Job project alongside other NGOs and said that her government was committed to making Quezon City bike-friendly.

“We have now built 93 kilometers of interconnected bike lanes in our city and for Phase 2 of the project, we intend to put another 54 kilometers of lanes,” Belmonte said.

Ho, who heads an advocacy group called Woman In Action, added: “As a resident of Quezon City all my life, I’m very proud to attest to the developments in our city. Just go around Commonwealth and the university areas, you’ll see. Hope we can continue on.”

She went on to cite the city’s collaboration with cycling advocates such as the Bikers United Movement in improving bike initiatives throughout the city. The group was responsible for setting up a community pantry for bikers in Commonwealth.

Quezon City put up the Green Transport Office as part of the safe cycling and active transport ordinance pushed forward by Councilor Mikey Belmonte, deploying 90 bike patrollers to help bikers navigate thoroughfares that were not originally designed for their use.

“We didn’t just want to implement. We want to make sure it’s done the right way. We wanted to make sure that our bikers are protected,” Belmonte said. He added that the city ordinance on safe cycling and active transport also urges business establishments to install bike racks.

“I’m very happy because since establishing these bike lanes, dumami talaga yung mga nagba-bike dito sa Quezon City,” he added.

Councilor Belmonte’s office helped identify recipients of bike donations for the Bike For Livelihood project, which aims to donate 500 bikes throughout the country to help provide livelihood opportunities to those affected by the pandemic.

One of the Quezon City recipients was Jayson Navarro, 34, of Barangay Holy Spirit. A Grab driver, Navarro rents a bike daily for P100 to be able to support his family and his mother, a PWD. He typically receives a monthly income of P7,000. Having been named a program beneficiary, he will now save on the daily rent and augment his family’s income.

The bikes are donated by MVP Group chairman Manny Pangilinan and the various foundations under the group, including PLDT-Smart Foundation, Metro Pacific Foundation, One Meralco Foundation, Maynilad Foundation and Alagang Kapatid Foundation.

PLDT-Smart also turned over smartphones and pocket WiFis, while Maynilad donated water fountains in Quezon City.

“Natutuwa kami dito sa Quezon City because the local government is really supporting our bikers with bike lanes and all the necessary laws to protect our bikers,” PLDT Smart Foundation Esther Santos said.