ILOILO City – A day after its triumph as the most Bicycle-Friendly City in the Philippines in the National Mobility Awards 2021, this southern city bagged another gold award during the Bike Lane Awards on Friday.
The inaugural Bike Lane Awards 2021 on Friday was given by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and SM Cares.
On Thursday, this southern city was hailed as the Top Gold Awardee for the Most Bike-Friendly City in the Philippines in this year’s Mobility Awards.
“We are moving closer to our vision of making a more sustainable metropolis for all. Madamo gid nga salamat, National Bike Day Bike Lane Awards for recognizing the beauty of the City of Love,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas yesterday.
Iloilo City soared past the cities of Pasig and Quezon which received the silver and bronze awards, respectively.
The gold award was given to Iloilo City “for its contribution and initiatives in the promotion of active transport” in the city category.
“The city was once filled with roads for our motorists, but as we aim to shift to a more sustainable metro, we created interconnected networks to build passages for our bikers,” Treñas said.
The first National Bike Day Lane Awards 2021 aims to highlight local government units (LGUs) around the country that best utilize the efficiency and effectiveness of bike lanes.
It also aims to promote road safety for all road users, as well as share innovative practices to improve active transport infrastructure as an example to other LGUs.
Iloilo is dubbed the “Bike Capital of the Philippines” and has an 11-kilometer bike lane on Diversion Road and select roads which also includes a four-kilometer protected lane. Several were marked by lines on the pavement to ensure the safety of bikers.
Treñas said the city plans to interconnect all the bike lanes all over the urban center for easier transport and mobility, expanding into a total of 32 kilometers.
On Thursday, this southern city bested 29 other cities as the Top Gold Awardee for the Most Bike-Friendly City in the Philippines, with Naga City and Mandaue City as silver awardees.
The city government will receive a Gold Bicycle-Friendly Recognition Sign, a certification designating the city’s ranking, and gift certificates from bicycle-friendly establishments worth P10,000.
“With our desire for a sustainable city, we provided an alternative mode of transport that aims to lessen carbon footprints as our response to the rising impact of climate change,” Treñas said./PN
