June 5, 2024
The manual bicycle count initiative, organized by the convenors of the Mobility Awards—namely: The Climate Reality Project Philippines, 350 Pilipinas, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, MNL Moves and Pinay Bike Commuter Community in collaboration with city local governments and local bicycle communities—kicked off its fourth year in four cities: Marikina, Muntinlupa, Cagayan De Oro City, and Butuan City. More than 150 volunteers were deployed at over 34 locations during peak hours, from 6-8 AM and 4-6 PM on World Bicycle Day, June 3.
Bilang Siklista was initially piloted in 2021 in the cities of Marikina, Quezon, Pasig and San Juan in partnership with local government units. In 2022, the manual bike count effort expanded to prominent cities outside of the four cities of Metro Manila, namely: Cebu, Mandaue, Naga, Iloilo, Baguio, and Davao. In 2023, the initiative was further expanded in Metro Manila with the cities of Mandaluyong, Taguig, Muntinlupa, Manila and in Mindanao with Cagayan de Oro, Butuan joining the count. More than 800 volunteers were mobilized during the 2023 Bilang Siklista with 147,800 people-on-bicycles counted.
“This year, we kick off the Bilang Siklista in the cities of Marikina, Muntinlupa, Cagayan de Oro and Butuan. Volunteers who continue to participate in Bilang Siklista continue to show their dedication to help their city become safer, healthier, and inclusive for people opting to use bicycles as their mode of transport. By counting people-on-bicycles and observing travel behaviors of cycling public, this form of citizen-science helps cities leverage the power of active citizens to gather needed baseline data especially when resources are limited.
This collaborative effort between cities, volunteers and online community groups supports the development of safer, more inclusive and connected bike infrastructures of cities; It also fosters a sense of pride and ownership among volunteers especially when the data are used by their cities to inform bike infrastructure improvements, said Celine Tabinga, National Coordinator for the Mobility Awards.
Bilang Siklista not only counts people using bicycles; it also counts key demographics such as gender, helmet use, and cycling movement trends in cities. Last year’s data revealed a significant gender gap, with females comprising only 4 percent of the total number of people-on-bicycles. This stark underrepresentation highlights the need for targeted initiatives to encourage more women to use bicycles as an everyday mode of transportation.
Krystle Taghap, a first-time volunteer for Marikina City, emphasizes that numerous cyclists, including women and children, are vulnerable on the roads. “I am committed to enhancing bike infrastructure in my city to ensure safer roads for everyone,” Krystle states.
Bilang Siklista continues to gain momentum with additional cities joining this year’s initiative, including the Municipality of Cordova in Cebu. This marks the first time a municipality is participating in the count, in support of the Metro Cebu-wide bike count efforts in Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Danao City. Additionally, the Mobility Awards also applauds Davao City for its proactive efforts in conducting its own independent bike count last May, mobilizing its own personnel.
Upcoming bike counts are scheduled in other cities for the following weekdays of June this year:
The report, which will be available publicly in October, will also demonstrate potential reductions in carbon emissions and economic savings achieved by people on bicycles. This year, we aim to gather more comprehensive annual comparative data to better understand these trends and inform future city initiatives and investments.
Registrations are still open for the following cities:
For more information about Bilang Siklista, visit http://www.mobilityawards.ph.
Photos of the bicycle counts conducted on June 3 can be accessed here.
The Mobility Awards is convened by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), The Climate Reality Project Philippines, 350 Pilipinas, MNL Moves, and the Pinay Bike Commuter Community. The Bilang Siklista Bike Count Program, as cited in this statement, is an initiative jointly led by the Mobility Awards consortium. For more information, visit mobilityawards.ph.
Sanaf Marcelo, ICSC: media@icsc.ngo, +63 968 886 3466, +63 917 149 5649
