DAVAO CITY — newly appointed Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Saturday promoted biking as alternate transport citing its health benefit.
The new health chief on Saturday joined Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, to celebrate the World Bicycle Day which aims to promote the use of bicycle as a sustainable, affordable, and alternative means of transportation.
In his message, Herbosa emphasized “Biking is a simple yet effective form of exercise and helps in reducing the levels of pollution in the country.”
The event in Taguig dubbed “The Pedal for a Sustainable Future – A World Bicycle Day Celebration” is also aimed to raise awareness about the benefits of cycling for both the environment and individuals’ health and well-being.
World Bicycle Day is a global initiative started by the United Nations General Assembly which aims to promote the use of bicycles as a sustainable mode of transportation. The bikers, numbering close to 700, ran a distance of 14 kilometers.
The said event will also launch the Active Transport Playbook which is one of the Playbooks initiatives of the Department of Health. The primary objective of the Active Transport initiative is to advance active modes of transportation, such as cycling and walking, as effective means to mitigate the prevalence of non-communicable diseases.
The Department of Health (DOH) has provided a fund amounting to Php1,150,000.00 for the promotion of the Active Transport Playbook. The fund can be used in all Active Transport events and activities that aim to encourage the adoption of active transport practices in the everyday lives of Filipinos.
The one-day event includes diverse undertakings like bike rides, challenges, cycling infrastructure, and workshops. These activities will contribute to nurturing a community of cyclists, working together to establish a more secure and healthier environment for all individuals.
Today, the Bike Taguig Facebook Group is composed of over 24,000 cyclists and cycling enthusiasts who can benefit from the event by learning about the positive impact that cycling can have on the environment, such as reducing carbon emissions, improving cardiovascular fitness and reducing stress levels.
“If Taguig can do this, I challenge every city to encourage and support biking both as an alternative mode of transportation and as a means to reduce pollution in the country”, Herbosa concluded.
