The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has welcomed a presidential proclamation declaring the fourth Sunday of November of every year as the “National Bicycle Day.”
President Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation 1052 in a bid to ensure ecological integrity and a clean and healthy environment.
“We are very happy that the President recognized the necessity of the use of bicycles as something that can contribute in making our environment more livable and freer from pollution.”
“We are very happy that the President recognized the necessity of the use of bicycles as something that can contribute in making our environment more livable and freer from pollution,” DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said.
According to Cimatu, the proclamation will help the DENR fulfill its mandate under Republic Act 8749 or the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999.
“We are certain that it will hugely contribute to the enforcement of the Clean Air Act and reduce pollution in the air.”
“With this development, we are certain that it will hugely contribute to the enforcement of the Clean Air Act and reduce pollution in the air that will benefit the present and future generations,” the environment chief pointed out.
“The proclamation will create a widespread awareness on the positive impact of non-motorized transportation to the environment, especially in improving air quality, which we have witnessed during the onset of COVID-19 where there are less cars on the road,” the environment head added.
He expressed hope the proclamation will encourage the public to reduce their reliance on motorized vehicles and start using bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation.
The observance of National Bicycle Day will be led by the DENR in partnership with relevant non-government organizations and civil society groups.
All government agencies and instrumentalities and the private sector are enjoined to participate and render the necessary support to the DENR.
Cimatu, meanwhile, extended his gratitude to the National Bicycle Organization (NBO), which partnered with the DENR back in 2014 to draft the first version of the National Bicycle Day.
Since that year, although the proclamation did not materialize, NBO has been conducting various activities in support of the DENR’s programs and events, particularly on the advocacy for clean air and the preservation of the country’s natural resources.
The first National Bicycle Day celebration was held in November 2014. The event was attended by at least 30,000 cyclists.