Iloilo City has formally branded itself as the “Bike Capital of the Philippines.”

The Iloilo City MICE Center launched the city’s title on Sunday, July 31, the last day of the Iloilo Bike Festival 2022.

“We have all the right to say that Iloilo City is truly the ‘Bike Capital of the Philippines,'” Mayor Jerry Treñas said in a message read by his nephew, former councilor Jay Treñas.

“Being a proud and true blooded Ilonggo, the truth is I am merely echoing what the world is saying. They are the ones who have accorded our bike lanes with awards.”

According to the mayor, the city government, through the MICE Center, carefully planned the marketing campaign.

Centered on the Iloilo City Network or the 11-kilometer bike lane, the campaign aims to “invite people from all walks of life to come and experience Iloilo City.”

Last year, the city won the Gold Award during the Bike Lane Awards organized by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The city was also hailed as the Top Gold Awardee for the Most Bike-Friendly City in the Philippines in the Mobility Awards 2021.

Meanwhile, Iloilo City MICE director Salvador “Dong” Sarabia said it took them several momths to prepare for the launching event.

“Now, with our bike lane and title as the ‘Bike Capital of the Philippines,’ we can offer investors and organizers a glimpse of Iloilo’s vision. We can invite them not just to hold events here, not just invest here, but be part of an exciting and sustainable future,” he said.

The Tourism Promotion Board (TPB) commended the city government’s efforts to promote bike tourism.

“Our shared endeavor to push for bike tourism directly responds to the very core of our tourist sentiments, longing for more outdoor activities in a way that also allows them to rediscover the iconic sites of the place, and in between stops or at the end of each ride, be able to experience and taste the gastronomic flavors unique to your communities,” TPB chief operating officer (COO) Atty. Maria Anthonette C. Velasco-Allones said in a message delivered by TPB Marketing and Events Division acting head Eloisa Romero.

The city’s “Bike Capital of the Philippines” title, she added, is well aligned with Board’s advocacy for responsible tourism as biking helps bring down carbon footprints.IMT