Cyclers with a Cause
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(Photos courtesy of BJ Gonzalvo)
A group of Pinoy cyclists in the Pacific Northwest are reliving the joy of riding with a more meaningful purpose—they are riding for the Philippines, for our kababayans. They are biking across the Pacific Northwest in the spirit of bayanihan, hoping to bring a smile to the farmers and fisher folks back home.
This summer, they joined two of the biggest cycling events in the Pacific Northwest, the 206-mile Seattle to Portland (STP) bike ride in July and the 180-mile Seattle to Vancouver, BC (RSVP) bike ride in August, dedicating their feats to Ride for the Philippines and the Foundation for the Philippines, a nonprofit organization that provides support to those in need in the Philippines.
Last year, the money raised by the cycling group was used to fund three fishing boats for villages devastated by typhoons. But the group did not stop there. With climate change and natural disasters increasing in numbers and strength, the needs of our kababayans keep increasing. And it is always the poor that gets devastatingly affected the hardest.
For many small villages in the Philippines, a fishing boat serves as the community’s lifeline. Whenever the fishing boats return after being out at sea for hours, village children run out to welcome them back to shore and help them to dock and unload their catch. It’s the spirit of bayanihan in action. It’s a celebratory sight to behold but for the locals, it’s just an ordinary daily routine which simply means there will be food on the table that day.
Many Filipinos around the world are getting into cycling for its physical, social, and mental health benefits. For the Ride for the Philippines cycling group, being able to help our kababayans back home is their pedaling motivation for these endurance rides. These long biking events take a lot of training and preparation. Training starts as early as January to allow their stamina and their muscles to gradually build up. Each week, they incrementally work their way up to being able to ride at least something close to a full century ride (100 miles) before the main ride. That means riding hours upon hours, giving up their weekends to train, waking up at the crack of dawn on Saturday mornings, and riding all day out in the summer heat, or during the spring season, in the cold and wet Pacific Northwest rain. Being able to finish the STP and the RSVP bike rides takes dedication, persistence, and perseverance. But in solidarity with the kababayans back home, the riders for the Philippines wholeheartedly took on the challenge.
Roger Rigor, a retired educator, an original OPM artist, and a leader of the riding group and the foundation, once wrote: “The challenge is nothing compared to the struggles of the people we are riding for.”
Filipinos, no matter the distance from the homeland, continue to uphold their culture’s core values. And one of the most cherished and important is bayanihan. Translated, it means “helping each other.” Its root word, bayan, means nation, also hometown. Bayani, also rooted in the same word, means hero. In a sense, these cyclists, in the spirit of bayanihan, are riding heroes for the people back in the homeland. The deeply ingrained cultural value of bayanihan keeps them grounded and connected to our kababayans, no matter the distance.
Last year, the money raised by the cycling group was used to fund three fishing boats for villages devastated by typhoons.
Through their long-distance bike rides, they are raising funds, and just as importantly, awareness of the plight of the farmers and fisher folks back home. Long after the typhoons have come and gone, long after the recovery volunteers have come and gone, and long after the monetary donations have come in, the farmers and fisher folks continue to face the challenges of rebuilding, resettling, and returning to normality. Many, unfortunately, may not succeed, the recent natural disasters having forever changed landscapes and livelihoods. But Pinoy cyclists from this corner of the world are keeping the hope alive as they ride every mile to help provide a better life for fellow Filipinos.
Consider supporting Ride for the Philippines:
BJ Gonzalvo, PhD, is a psychology researcher, consultant, and writer about faith and culture. He is currently collecting and archiving histories, stories, kuwentos, images, narratives, and reflections on what faith means to Filipinos in America today. Visit http://www.saintlynest.com/ to learn more.
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