OVER 160 cyclists from all walks of life in Cagayan de Oro City heeded the call to ride to the mangrove forests of Alubijid and Laguindingan in a bid to call attention to climate change.
Traversing over 40 kilometers of the Maharlika Highway and passing by one city and three municipalities, these bikers joined the Pedal for People and Planet bike activity Sunday, commemorating World Environment Day.
“We wanted to have a fun activity that would involve biking, to highlight it as the most sustainable form of transportation as well as bring to prominent attention the importance of mangroves in combating climate change,” said Aliezza Agbas, spokesperson of the Youth for Climate Justice- Cagayan de Oro.
“The bikers stopped at the mangrove forests of Alubijid and Laguindingan, took a selfie while holding placards with statements on ending fossil fuel dependency and renewed calls to a just transition to renewable energy, and uploaded to their Facebook accounts,” she added.
The participants received freebies like jerseys, tube masks, and arm sleeves from the organizers at the finish line in Barangay Tubajon Aquamarine Park in Laguindingan town.
The activity was the second leg of the Asia-wide coordinated bike action to bring to the forefront of public consciousness the climate emergency the planet is undergoing.
The first bike activity was held on April 24 to commemorate Earth Day, with the bike route taking the participants from Cagayan de Oro to the Steag Coal Plant in Villanueva town.
Both activities were sponsored by the Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development and in coordination with the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice.
A third leg of the bike action activity is slated to be held in November, one of the organizers said and hopes that it will bring in more participants not only from Cagayan de Oro but also from Misamis Oriental as a whole.
