MANILA, Philippines—Lakeshore communities in Laguna are in for a first-of-its-kind summer activity—a pedal-power caravan on the 200-kilometer stretch around Laguna de Bay by some 1,000 riders and cycling advocates.

There are no prizes or personal recognition at stake in the activity scheduled on April 26-27 and tagged as “Laguna de BuhAY: Save Laguna Lake Bike Caravan.”

Estimated by organizers to stretch more than a kilometer, the caravan is intended to call attention to the dismal state of the Philippines’ biggest lake and one of its most important natural water basins.

“Laguna de Bay is dying,” Edgardo Manda, general manager of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), grimly declared at a recent Bulong Pulungan forum at Hotel Sofitel in Pasay City.

“If we don’t do something within five years, residents of Laguna, Metro Manila and nearby provinces will be experiencing a water crisis and suffering an outbreak of water-borne diseases.”

Simultaneous with the caravan is a bamboo-planting activity led by the LLDA at strategic sites around the lake.

“The lowly bamboo has been shown to be one of the most resilient and versatile of all plants. Next to the coconut tree, bamboo grass is also one of the most useful,” said Manda, a known advocate of bamboo.

“If the coconut is the tree of life, bamboo is the grass of hope for the people of Laguna de Bay,” he said.

Vast bamboo plantation

Manda said the bike caravan and the bamboo-planting activity would form key parts of a bigger program for the economic sustainability and ecological stability that the LLDA hopes to achieve in the next few years.

“Right now, we have to make people realize that Laguna de Bay is suffocating from illegal human encroachment, uncontrolled proliferation of fish pens and dumping of domestic waste by residents,” he said. “The survival of residents and industries will ultimately depend on the lake being able to breathe again.”

According to Manda, the bike caravan is “a first in the history of Laguna Lake.”

“Ultimately, the area around Laguna de Bay will be a haven for tourists and cyclists, and residents and industries will become partners in restoring the lake’s ecological balance.”

Manda envisions Laguna de Bay surrounded by vast plantations of bamboo from which lakeshore residents can benefit economically and environmentally.

“Bamboo can help prevent soil erosion, and it can be harvested and processed into various products, such as construction materials, clothing and accessories and even food products,” he said.

Raising awareness

Manda said he and the rest of the LLDA started as early as February to discuss ways to effectively raise awareness of the ecological crisis among the lakeshore residents and industries.

He ultimately thought of the bike caravan as an initial step toward rallying the communities to do their share in saving the lake.

“The bicycle is both environment-friendly and a supreme example of the efficiency of human power transmitted to action. A bike caravan could spark a collective human effort to restore ecological balance in Laguna de Bay before the situation becomes irreversible,” he said.

“Laguna de BuhAY” is being spearheaded by the LLDA (the lead government agency) and the Rotary Club of Makati Central (the lead civic organization).

To be held as part of the culminating activities of Earth Month, it will gather members of various cycling clubs in Metro Manila and the provinces of Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite and Quezon.

Ramoncito “Monchie” Garcia, president of the Cycling Advocates and Adventures (Cycad), the coordinating group of the caravan, has predicted a turnout of nearly 1,200 riders, most of them members of organized cycling clubs.

“This has been an activity long awaited by cycling and environment advocates. In fact, we didn’t see the need to disseminate posters. Just by word of mouth, the Filipino cycling community has expressed support for this project,” he said.

Foundation envisioned

Lakeshore industries that have had their factories’ pollution control measures strictly enforced are supporting “Laguna de BuhAY,” Manda said.

Companies, such as Petron, San Miguel Corp., Jollibee, SM Malls and Coca-Cola, have committed financial and logistical support.

Manda expressed hope that the project’s success would eventually lead to the formation of a Laguna Lake Foundation, to be “composed of a core group of members representing public and private sector entities and advocacy groups who will make sure that what we started this year would not go for naught.”

He said “Laguna de BuhAY” should not be “another example of ningas-cogon,“ or short-lived enthusiasm.

“Even when we eventually achieve our objectives, the foundation will serve as a sentinel, preventing this natural body of water, which is so vital to the socioeconomic and environmental fabric of our society, from being threatened again,” he said.

Caravan route

Coinciding with Taguig City’s Foundation Day on April 26, the first leg of the bike caravan will take off from Market! Market! and end 60 km away at the LLDA field offices in Calauan, Laguna.

It will traverse the Manuel L. Quezon Road (the old National Road), passing through the congested western side of the lake (the cities of Taguig, Parañaque and Muntinlupa, and the towns of Biñan and San Pedro, the cities of Sta. Rosa and Calamba, and Los Baños town).

The bikers will be shown around the LLDA bamboo nurseries in Calauan before they return to Los Baños to spend the night at the world-class Trace College Aquatic Sports Center.

In the early morning of April 27, the bikers will shuttle back to the LLDA in Calauan to start the second, longer leg of the caravan.

Caravan’s 2nd, longer leg

This time, they will negotiate the 140-km eastern side of the lake, from Calauan passing through the towns of Pagsanjan, Pangil, Pakil, Paete and Mabitac, crossing the provincial boundary to Rizal’s Jala-Jala, Baras, Cardona, Angono and end at Club Manila East in Taytay, where a hectare-wide pool shaped like Laguna de Bay will provide the perfect finish.

“Since this will be a caravan-type of ride, the pace will be a relaxed 20 to 25 km per hour, which any cyclist of any age can keep up with,” Cycad’s Garcia said.

The caravan will make a pit stop at the halfway mark of the first leg at the SM Mall in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, where a short program will be held, and leaflets will be distributed on how residents can save Laguna de Bay in their own small way.