Theoretical and Critical Essays THE

A N TO N I N U S
RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC JOURNAL

A new human (r)evolution: Navigating the promises of bicycle use

in peri and post-pandemic Philippines

John Christopher B. Mesana1,4 and Allan B. de Guzman1,2,3

1The Graduate School, 2 Research Center for Social Sciences and Education,
3 College of Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Santo Tomas
4Senior High School Department, Colegio de San Juan de Letran

johnchristopher.mesana@letran.edu.ph; abdeguzman@ust.edu.ph

The invention of the “velocipede” in the 1860s by Ernest Michaux and Pierre Lallement had witnessed
the evolution of bicycle as a globally recognized healthy and cheap mode of transportation (Heinen, van Wee &
Maat, 2010). As the dominant mode of transport especially after the Second World War in the Western countries
(Oosterhuis, 2014), the popularity of this simple machine for travelling extends up to this day for its outstanding
health and environmental promises. For instance, studies have shown that cycling can provide more health
benefits to an individual, lesser air pollution emission and road accidents compared to car driving (De Hartog,
Boogaard, Nijland & Hoek, 2010; Heinen et al.,2010). Such benefits have also motivated Asians in shifting to
bicycle use besides its low cost and fuel maintenance (Manibo, 2015).

It is worth noting that bicycles are especially popular among developing countries in Asia. Poushter (2015)
argued that this might have been brought by cycling as a prime means of transportation in the East compared to
being a recreation and leisure in most Western countries. Accordingly, a study by Pew Research Center has shown
a large number of households owning a bicycle in many developing countries in South East Asia such as Thailand,
Vietnam and Indonesia, among others (Table 1). In the Philippines, however, motorcycles are still much preferred
by most households compared to bicycles due to fewer road infrastructures that support cycling transportation.
Further, most of the commuters in Metro Manila prefer the mainstream mode of transit (e.g. buses, LRT and
MRT) for its perceived safety and convenience (Castro & Josef, 2020).

Table 1. Vehicle ownership in the Asia-Pacific by Pew Research Center (Poushter, 2015)
Percentage of household Percentage of household Percentage of household
who owns a car who owns a motorcycle who owns a bike
Country % Country % Country %
S. Korea 83 Thailand 87 Japan 78
Malaysia 82 Vietnam 86 Thailand 74
Japan 81 Indonesia 85 Vietnam 67
Thailand 51 Malaysia 83 China 65
China 17 China 60 Indonesia 65
India 6 India 47 S. Korea 63
Philippines 6 Pakistan 43 India 62
Indonesia 4 Philippines 32 Malaysia 53
Pakistan 3 Japan 21 Bangladesh 39
Bangladesh 2 Bangladesh 18 Pakistan 36
Vietnam 2 S. Korea 9 Philippines 24

In recent years, bicycle use is slowly gaining momentum in the Philippines, particularly in the field of
Published by The Graduate School, UST Manila
Mesana, J.C.B. & de Guzman, A.B. The Antoninus Journal 2021

tourism and sustainability. “Bambikes” or bikes with a body made of bamboo and abaca fibers developed by
Bryan Benitez McClelland in 2007 have been gaining traction among tourists as it is used for “ecotours” around
the walled city of Intramuros, Manila. Moreover, this new type of bicycle has also provided jobs for Filipino
bamboo farmers and bicycle makers in the country (Tayao-Juego, 2014). This evolution affords opportunities for
bikes to be used for cultural and tourism purposes, besides its health and environmental benefits.

As the world faces the challenges of the novel COVID-19 health pandemic, the bicycle is being eyed to
be a leading alternative source of transportation to aid in slowing down the transmission of the disease. In fact,
the World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed biking and walking in going to work and providing physical
exercise while maintaining social distancing among individuals (Harker, 2020). The Philippine Senate, for its
part, has also drafted a bill promoting walking and biking as a primary means of travel amid coronavirus pandemic
(Torregoza, 2020). Interestingly, Pasig City, which is under an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), also
declared biking as a mode of transportation for people making essential travels (Cabico, 2020).

The resurgence of bicycles as an option for the “new normal” may accrue certain number of benefits and
promises, provided that a clear-cut mechanism and structure are in place to facilitate its wide adoption among
Filipinos. A study by Cui (2018) had shown that active promotion of the health and environmental benefits vis-
á-vis practicality of cycling to the commuters influence their willingness to use a bicycle; hence, an efficient mass
information and re-orientation drive on the benefits of cycling may hold a great promise to its successful re-
introduction to the Filipino public. Meanwhile, Heinen et al. (2010) and Castro and Josef (2020) contended that
distance, weather, low speed, and the lack of safety and convenience greatly discourage commuters to use bicycle
thus, infrastructures and urban planning such as bicycle paths, lanes, bridges, viaducts, tunnels, traffic-calmed
streets and other bicycle facilities such as marked routes and route networks, separate traffic lights, and (guarded)
parking lots (Oosterhuis, 2014) are highly suggested. Considering that the country is the 5 th largest bamboo
exporter in the world and with the approval of the Senate Bill No. 1240, or the Philippine Bamboo Industry
Development Act, the bicycle market may create job and livelihood opportunities among displaced Filipino
workers due to the current health crisis. Further, Oosterhuis (2014) averred that availabilities of changing rooms
and shower places, storage area, more repair shops, bike rental facilities might also promote the use of bicycles
in going to work. In the field of education, cycling may contribute to the continuous promotion of health and
wellness among students amid some restrictions on sporting events and close physical contacts.

The COVIDification (de Guzman, 2020) of human processes and structures can expectedly shape the
future of biking and bicycle use in the country. Reculturing the Filipinos toward a more practical and viable use
of bicycle remains a great work in progress and could be one of the panaceas to the challenges of the health
pandemic. Bicycle, as a viable health, environmental, economic and transportation tool and its affordances,
deserves a space as we collectively chart the post-pandemic Philippine scenario. Paving the way to what we
usually call as “going back to basics” could be a simple yet meaningful attempt to realize the enduring lessons
from what Gates (2020) considers as a once-in-a-century pandemic.

References

Cabico, G. K. (2020, April 7). Pasig declares biking an essential form of transportation during community
quarantine. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/04/07/2006053/pasig-
declares-biking-essential-form-transportation-during-community-quarantine

Castro, J. T., & Josef, J. F. C. (2020). Provision of Bicycle Facilities to Increase Bicycle Commuting at Central
Business Districts in Metro Manila, Philippines. In Urban and Transit Planning (pp. 313-328). Springer,
Cham. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-17308-1

Cui, X. (2018). Influencing factors of public participation willingness in shared bicycles and intervention
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Mesana, J.C.B. & de Guzman, A.B. The Antoninus Journal 2021

strategies. Journal of Discrete Mathematical Sciences and Cryptography, 21(6), 1437–1442.

doi:10.1080/09720529.2018.1527811

de Guzman, A.B. (2020). From globalization to COVIDification of higher education: Panicgogy as a clarion to
empowering today’s learners. The Antoninus Journal, 6. Available at
http://theantoninus.com.ph/archives/36/

De Hartog, J. J., Boogaard, H., Nijland, H., & Hoek, G. (2010). Do the Health Benefits of Cycling Outweigh the
Risks? Environmental Health Perspectives, 118(8), 1109–1116. doi:10.1289/ehp.0901747

Gates, B. (2020). Responding to Covid-19-A once-in-a-century pandemic? New England Journal of Medicine,
382(18), 1677-1679.

Harker, J. (2020, April 21). "Consider bicycles" during Covid-19 outbreak, says World Health Organisation.
Retrieved May 12, 2020, from https://cyclingindustry.news/consider-bicycles-during-covid-19-outbreak-
says-world-health-organisation/

Heinen, E., van Wee, B., & Maat, K. (2010). Commuting by Bicycle: An Overview of the Literature. Transport
Reviews, 30(1), 59–96. doi:10.1080/01441640903187001

Manibo, M. (2015, May 14). Cycling in Asia: Opening new roads to sustainability. Retrieved May 11, 2020, from
https://www.eco-business.com/news/cycling-in-asia-opening-new-roads-to-sustainability/

Poushter, J. (2015, April 16). Car, bike or motorcycle? Depends on where you live. Retrieved May 11, 2020, from
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/16/car-bike-or-motorcycle-depends-on-where-you-live/

Tayao-Juego, A. (2014, August 24). 'Bambikes' add more fun in Intramuros, jobs in Tarlac. Retrieved May 12,
2020, from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/632134/bambikes-add-more-fun-in-intramuros-jobs-in-tarlac