THE Baguio City Council has given the greenlight to cyclists in the city who are now allowed to conduct the city’s first ever Baguio Bike Festival, also known as “Sang-atan.”
Proponents of the said event on June 5 sought the permission of the city council to conduct the Sang-atan, which the council gave in the affirmative.
As such, June will now have this month-long schedule of events:
- June 11 – Bike Tour for the Sunday Bike Ride within the Central Business District (CBD);
- June 18 – Ride with the Regional Alternative Child Care (RACC) for the Sunday Bike Ride in strategic areas within the CBD;
- June 25 – Bike Count in strategic areas on June 22; MTB Bike Race along Kennon Road;
- June 30 – Bike Exposition and Bike Tiangge along Juan Luna Drive and Bike Packing Camp at the Pine Trees of the World; and
- July 2 – Kiddie Trike and Balance Bike Races; Concert at the Park and Bicycle 101 at Burnham Park; DCM Tour of Sounds and Lights within the CBD; and the culminating activity called the Hari ang Ahon Criterium Race along parts of Harrison Road, Jose Abad Santos Drive, Lake Drive I, and Perfecto Drive.
Atty. Marissa Dacayanan, the cyclists’ convenor for the event, said the festival intends to remind people in the city about the joys of biking which they experienced mostly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic where it gained popularity as a sport, hobby, means of transportation, physical fitness exercise, and sustainable way of life.
Dacayanan stressed that the Bike Exposition and Bike Tiangge to be held along Juan Luna Drive on June 30 are not “trade fairs” similar to the ones conducted in various venues within the CBD. With this assurance, the city council passed a separate resolution giving Magalong the authority to to close certain roads including Juan Luna Drive for the conduct of the afore-mentioned activities.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong had previously expressed support for this activity and has given assurance that the city government will provide assistance to the undertaking.
