Touring RP on a bike

It has been years since he last rode a motorcycle. Yet for Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon, the temptation to ride one even for a brief moment was simply too hard to resist. Hence, one afternoon last week, he jumped onto the saddle of a hulking BMW bike in the name of tourism.

Gordon’s historic ride officially launched the Department of Tourism’s endorsement of the first Bike Week which promises to be the biggest gathering of motorcyclist and motorcycle enthusiasts in the country’s history.

"The best way to tour the Philippines is on a motorcycle," he said after his brief rendezvous with the Mad Dogs, the group of bikers organizing the Bike Week. "We hope that through Bike Week, more tourists will discover the beauty of the Philippines and more tourists will realize that our country is very interesting and a very safe place to visit."

Chito San Agustin, a founding member of the Mad Dogs and in charge of the security preparations for the Bike Week, said he agrees with Gordon when he said that motorcycling is the best means of going around the Philippines’ 7,100 islands.

"It’s the easiest way to go around too," San Agustin said. "Roll-on, roll-off vessels now connect our islands and one can hop from island to island on a bike very easily."

San Agustin said he could confidently say that any tourist would be safe to ride even in the Philippines’ most remote areas.

"We’ve gone to Jolo in Sulu with our foreigner friends and we found the place to be very safe. The beauty of the Philippines is that every island, every province has its own culture, its own dialect, its own type of food and its own people. Everywhere you go, people are hospitable. Ang ganda ng Pilipinas! And you can appreciate the beauty of the Philippines better on a bike," he said.

Leonardo Decampong, motorcycle manager of BMW Philippines, could only agree. A biker for more than 20 years, Decampong has gone to the Ilocos region in the north and the Visayas in the south on a bike.

"On a bike, you can stop anywhere and admire the surroundings anytime you want. You can even go on trails and visit places that you cannot visit on a car. Matipid pa sa gasoline," he said. "And what’s great with the Philippines, kahit saan ka tumigil may tao. Pag nasiraan ka, may tutulong sa iyo."

Though the country is generally safe for motorcyclists, San Agustin is not taking any chances in his security preparations for the Bike Week’s activities.

Gordon has advised him and the rest of the Mad Dogs to make sure that The Fort in Taguig, where most of the Bike Week’s activities will be held, is completely safe and secure.

"We will have bomb-sniffing dogs there just to be sure. We don’t want any prankster making any mess and ruining the Bike Week," he said.

This early, San Agustin is coordinating with various government agencies for the Bike Week’s security. He will be meeting today with Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando for plans to hold a motorcade on April 24, the first day of the Bike Week. According to San Agustin, Fernando has given assurance of his full support for the event.

"Thousands of bikers will be there," San Agustin said. "It will be a big party, with delegates from 13 countries participating. We want it to be a week of non-stop fun and we want the tourists to remember the Philippines as a place for motorcycling."