OVER 100 motorcyclists passed through San Pablo City in Laguna, for a quick meal at the Sulyap Café in preparation for the last 42 kilometers to Nuvali in Sta. Rosa–the end point of both “loops” around the Calabarzon area–to kickstart the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines’ Motorcycle Tourism (PMT) program.
A total of 250 motorcycle enthusiasts gathered at the Rizal Park in Manila last Saturday. Divided into two groups the riders head off the Taal Lake Loop in Batangas and the Laguna Lake Loop. The event is not a continuous ride but one where networking at the stops made it more interesting and provided business to the hotels and restaurants along the route. Riders took two days to cover the main tourist spots along with the loops and pit stops for selfies and toilet breaks.
“The kick-off ride is one of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines’ initiatives to bring back the confidence of the public to travel within the country while exercising “new normal” guidelines and safety protocols on the road in line with its Philippine Motorcycle Tourism (PMT) Program,” TPB COO Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones said.
“After being stuck indoors for so long, this is a welcome opportunity for the riding community. Being able to go wherever the wind takes us is very important for riders. For almost two years, we have limited opportunity to do it and now we are slowly and safely getting back to riding again,” Aris Ilagan of editor at TopBikes said as he shared his regained enthusiasm to explore different parts of the country more freely once again on two wheels.
In preparation for the kick-off ride, a hybrid webinar was held onsite at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) and virtually through an online meeting the day before on November 19, Friday.
The webinar was aimed to equip participating motorcycle riders and other enthusiasts with knowledge on safe riding, off-road driving techniques and skills, and adventure tourism through the expertise of invited speakers, Rod Cruz of the Arangkada Riders’ Alliance, Gen. Fernando Paez of the Law Enforcer Riders’ Association of the Philippines, and Mel Aquino of the Yamaha Off-Road Training Camp.
“We continue to push the limits to create new ways to enjoy safe travel amid our present situation because we know that traveling and adventure give us purpose and new perspectives,” Velasco-Allones added explaining the two loops.
The Taal Lake Loop starts from Cavite going around Batangas via the Taal Lake roads. This route included stops in the historic town of Maragondon (Habi of Maragondon, Simbahan ng Maragondon, Caingin River), Tagaytay, Taal (Basilica San Martin De Tours, Marcella Agoncillo Historical Landmark, Apacible Historical Landmark), San Juan (Laiya), Lipa (Mary Mediatrix of All Grace Church), Mataas na Kahoy (My Honey’s Farm), Sto. Tomas (National Shrine of Padre Pio) ending in Nuvali Park at Sta Rosa.
The Laguna Lake Loop (Rizal-Laguna-Quezon) started at the Antipolo Cathedral, passing to Hinulugang Taktak then down the road to Tanay (Daranak Falls), Pililia (Pililia Windmills, Pakil (St. Peter of Alcantara Parish Church), Paete, Luisiana (pandan weaving), Lucban (Kamay ni Hesus), San Juan (Laiya), Dolores (Bangkong Kahoy Valley), San Pablo City (Sulyap Gallery Cafe), also ending at Sta. Rosa Nuvali Park.
“I appreciate that DOT and TPB are doing their best to help tourism bounce back and consider motorcycle tourism as a viable market. I am excited to inspire and encourage other people to try the adventure of motorcycle riding,” Cebu MotoVlogger and Philippine Motorcycle Tourism Ambassador Jet Lee said.
Motorcycle riders were registered for free and were accommodated on a first-come-first-served basis. The Philippine Motorcycle Tourism kick-off ride and hybrid webinar was conducted in accordance with Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) guidelines. Only fully-vaccinated individuals were accepted to join the webinar and the kick-off ride onsite, following strict safety and health protocols during the entire duration of the event.
“This time, we are exploring the country on two wheels and presenting an alternative way of traveling to entice the public to discover more of the Philippines’ interesting culture, sites, cuisines, and other tourism attractions,” Velasco-Allones concluded.
