The Green Ride
The day I went down to Manila, two ‘Jims’ biked to my house and invited us to sponsor ‘The Green Ride.’ Thinking I was to be in Manila for only few days, I left the letter back home and said it was the first thing I would attend to upon getting back up to Baguio. Well, two weeks later, am still in Manila!
The first Jim owns a wonderful vegetarian restaurant I am addicted to, Bliss Cafe, while the second Jim is a Muslim imam who (was a butcher by trade, too, as it turns out — attention those who need Halal food!) now teaches at the Philippine Military Academy. For those of you who live in Baguio, I’m sure you know who I’m talking about.
Then Resty emails me the invite to the Green Ride so I can promote the event through this site. And thank goodness for that because my copy is stashed in my room back home. And yes, Jim and Jim, we will sponsor the event as it is a wonderful undertaking for a better Baguio!
Jim W., talk to you about which package when I get home (am sure it’s not too late as we will not sponsor the event for publicity purposes, only as a show of support for your wonderful initiative).
Join the first Green Ride!
a 20km leisurely bicycle ride around Baguio City for a better urban environment!
April 20, Sunday!
Start: 8:00 am Malcolm Square (People’s Park)
End: 11:00 am Melvin Jones
Baguio City is called the summer capital of the Philippines for its cool climate, undulating terrain and refreshing pine-laden environment. However, with its fast increasing population and urbanization costs, Baguio now is a far cry from how it used to be.
Because of motorization and building with concrete, over-all temperature in the city has risen. As the volume of vehicles on the city’s streets grow every year, readings of air pollutants in the city exceed the national guideline values.
The Green Ride aims to address the environmental problems plaguing Baguio City, specifically pollution from motor vehicles. Its organizers, The Daily Cycle Movement, aims to influence public policy and opinion in shifting to environmentally sustainable modes of transportation through an annual fun bicycling event. In celebration of Earth Day, ‘The Green Ride’ will take any person who can ride a bicycle, from all walks of life, including kids, women and the elderly, through some of the congested and scenic streets of Baguio at a leisurely pace.
Dressed in colorful costumes, the ‘green riders’ hope to enjoin Baguio citizens and the city government to walk, cycle, and invest on public transport. You don’t need to be a citizen of Baguio to join the Green Ride. If you care about this city as you
have experienced its cool climate, pine-laden environment and would like to preserve it, join the Green Ride!
About the Ride:
- Distance and Duration: The 20 kilometer ride will take about 3 hours to complete.
- Route: Participants will tour some of BaguioÕs scenic as well as congested roads. It will include a joyful ride inside Camp John Hay which will open its gate to cyclists for the Green Ride.
- Pace and Degree of Difficulty: Baguio’s mountain terrain requires for participants to have the skill to handle their bicycles through the city’s uphill and downhill roads. In order to encourage people from all walks of life and all ages to be a part of the bicycle caravan, the pace will be relaxed at an average of 7 kph, slowly moving on uphills and speeding up a bit on downhills. The pace will be controlled so that the participants ride in a big group, and all may enjoy the ride.
- Rests and Stops: The ride will make several stops along the route so that the caravan can regroup. There will be two major stops at Panagbenga Park, and Pacdal Circle.
- Requirements: All participants must sign the waiver and quit claim in the registration form, wear helmets, and bring water to drink. The Green Ride implements a NO HELMET, NO RIDE POLICY. Participants below 13 years of age must be accompanied by a registered adult participant.
Build a Festive Ride Atmosphere!
All participants are encouraged to wear costumes or decorate their bicycles with nature themed designs. Prizes will be awarded for best costumes and decorated bikes. Special Prizes will also be given to the Oldest and Youngest riders. Only registered participants who joined the ride are eligible to win.
Be Counted!
Registration Fee is P150 which includes a Green Ride souvenir event t-shirt. Only the first 100 registrants can claim their shirt on event day. Those who don’t make it to the first 100 can claim their shirt at their prefered registration center two weeks after the event.
Registration Centers:
- Jojit’s Bike Shop, Legarda Rd., Baguio City
- Glow Bike Shop, Km 4 (behind Allied Bank), La Trinidad
- University of the Philippines Baguio (UP Baguio Mountaineers, Woods, near main gate guard house)
- Bliss Cafe, Munsayac Inn, Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City.
Deadline for registration at the above locations is on April 18.
On-site Registration on April 20 starts at 6:00 a.m. at Malcolm Square (PeopleÕs Park), at the lower end of Session Road.
Help by promoting the ride! You may print the poster and forward the registration form to all interested.
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Volunteer as a Bicycle Marshal
30 Bicycle Marshals needed! to help in the Green Ride. Marshals should be physically fit, have basic road riding skills, patient, cool-headed, able to follow instructions, and can work independently and as part of a team.
Marshal Training Ride is on April 13, Sunday. Meet at Malcolm Square (People’s Park) at 8:00 a.m. Of course, helmets are required.
Hi Lisa,
This is history in the making to be able to ride one’s bike inside Camp John Hay. Neither under the Americans nor Fil-Estate have bicycles been allowed till now. Have heard about mountain bikes being ridden along the trails but never on the roads inside the camp. Yehey!
…even if only for one morning on Sunday. Thanks.
This is so timely…Earth Hour just culminated a couple or so Saturdays ago,we also need to focus on our ‘natural’ abundance..Preserve whatever is left of it… Biking is a good way to excercise and what better place but in cool baguio, enjoy the breeze and nature,and we do co-exist with nature…a bit off topic here,
I loved the vegetarian dishes served in bliss and the coconut balls….but more than anything, jim w. and his partner support local, aspiring artists(visual)by showcasing the works in their cafe and I think they still promote local products as well. Both are bikers so it’s not surprising to initiate such a cause:)
Hello Resty!
That’s right about Camp John Hay and bikes. There are no bike lanes kasi inside. Pity. I do not think the developer’s vision of Camp John Hay includes people other than those with cars.
I made history one year when I was catering for a Western Barbecue Buffet at Scout Hill that involved horse ride. So I got permission to bring in my horse, Jupiter (way before Shalan di Kabajo existed) and rode him the long way — Sheridan Drive from the old Main Gate at Upper Session Road up to Scout Hill.
That was such a nice ride, too!
Hi Elaine,
Yes, Jim is such a wonderful person, at peace and so physically active in, and supportive of his adopted hometown.
I may have to edit what I wrote about Jim to “those of you who visit Baguio” instead of “those who live in Baguio” — I forgot that most folks here are carnivorous so vegetarian restaurants like his are patronized more by tourists. His wife, Shanti cooks a fantastic vegetarian meal every time while Jim is the GRO who attends to the restaurant guests on the floor. I guess the locals would know him as that sweet American on a bike! Hahaha!
congratulations! will this be a yearly thing? would appreciate knowing who organized it. thanks!
Hi Jo,
Let me ask them what their plans are and I will get back to you on that!
Am so hoping Baguio can be a biker’s haven, a walking city more than than a city of jeepneys.
I hate it when they don’t allow bicycles to enter John Hay. I remember one time when a part of the Loakan rd was closed for some repair and I have to go to Pacdal Circle. I tried to enter Camp John Hay as an alternate route. The guards stopped me because they said that bicycles were not allowed. Then a motorbike enterred Camp John Hay. So they allow bikes, but with motors! How I wish Camp John Hay is cyclist friendly.
Hi Bill,
I really do not understand the policies of the Camp John Hay management. It is so biased in favor of motorists, as if motorists have more money that those of us who prefer to walk or bike.
Only taxis with passengers are allowed to enter so those who were dropped off have to walk to the gates after dining and shopping in Camp John Hay. No shuttle service here.
The mini golf and cemetery of negativism are still there, requiring a paint job, and in the case of the former, some carpeting. It seems their policy is to make Camp John Hay less interesting.
jo, on April 24th, 2008 at 3:28 pm Said:
congratulations! will this be a yearly thing? would appreciate knowing who organized it. thanks!
jo, that ride was organized by the group led by katti sta ana of u p baguio, imam jim and jim of bliss cafe. they have just formed a group called the daily cycle movement. katti was one of the originators of the tour of the fireflies, also an earth day bike activity in manila which has been held every year since then.
i’m not so sure if bike commuting will pick up in baguio. one thing going against it is the baguio terrain, the narrow roads, the horrendous traffic and lack of support from the city government. bike commuting here is only for the hard-core cyclists.