10,000 riders join simul cycling in Metro, 6 cities

MANILA, Philippines - The 13th Tour of the Fireflies will fire off April 17 with over 10,000 riders expected to join the mass ride aimed at promoting environmentally sound, non-motorized forms of transportation.

The Firefly Brigade, Tiendesitas and Ortigas & Co. team up for the staging of the 42-kilometer Metro Manila run covering key cities of Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Quezon City, Manila and Pasay.

Simultaneous rides will be held in Bacolod, Baguio, Batangas, Cebu, General Santos and Palawan as part of the event with the theme “Bicycle Revolution.”

The Tour of the Fireflies is an annual critical mass ride held every third week of April with the aim of making the country firefly-friendly. According to scientific research, presence of fireflies is an indication of an environment with clear air. This explains why fireflies thrive in places such as Palawan, Bohol and Donsol.

“Revolution entails a radical change in one’s way of living. For us, a bicycle revolution means rallying people and lobbying for the establishment of cycle-inclusive urban and regional planning,” said Firefly Brigade president Ricky Pineda during the media launch of the event in Tiendesitas.

Ortigas & Co.’s Joey Santos and Cathy Co also attended the affair. 

The group said the TOF gathered about 8,000 to 10,000 bikers last year, making it one of the biggest fun rides organized in Manila.

“The Firefly Brigade was founded in 1999 and established as an NGO in 2000. Since then, we have been organizing bike rides, pushing for road sharing, and the installment of bike lanes in public spaces. This is our sixth year working with our trusted partners, Tiendesitas and Ortigas & Co.,” Pineda said.

Ortigas & Co. made a ceremonial turnover of a bike to The Firefly Brigade in TOF’s official press launch symbolizing the company’s commitment to clean air.

“Our business is simple, building communities that promote healthy living and environmentally friendly practices,” said Santos, senior vice-president of Ortigas & Co. Real Estate.

“Developments under Ortigas & Co. are designed to work with the environment. For our part, we do our share abiding in best practices such as water and solid waste management,” Santos also said.

Tiendesitas received the first Certified Greenheart Award from the Pasig Greenhearts Movement Inc. in grateful recognition of the invaluable support to the Pasig Green City Vision given by Robert Eusebio.

Other Ortigas properties such as the Greenhills Shopping Center also received various citations such as the Don Emilio Abello Energy Efficiency Award by the Department of Energy and best Energy Management by Asian Center for Energy.

For more information about the 13th Tour of the Fireflies, visit www.fireflybrigade.org.