BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio City Council has approved on first reading an ordinance seeking to institutionalize “Sang-atan” or the Baguio Bicycle Month Festival.

Once institutionalized, the bike festival will be held for the entire month of June of every year.

The proposed ordinance was formulated in response to the city council’s endorsement of the Baguio “Sang-atan” Bicycle Festival, which commenced on June 3, 2023, and will culminate on July 3, 2023.

During the city council’s regular session on June 5, proponents of the inaugural Sang-atan Festival, consisting of avid cyclists and bike enthusiasts in the city, sought the council’s permission for the event.

The city council gave the go-ahead by passing a resolution allowing and supporting the conduct of the said event.

Councilor Jose Molintas, author of the proposed ordinance, said the institutionalization of the said festival as one of the annual activities of the city would “promote and enhance bicycle-related activities and initiate construction of facilities by the city, local government units, and private institutions” 

Molintas added that this month-long celebration will encourage more citizens to use bicycles as a simple, affordable, reliable, and environment-friendly means of transportation including the entire Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Tuba-Tublay (BLISTT).

The festival activities under the proposed ordinance are the following: 

a. Celebration of the June 3 United Nation’s World Cycling Day and launching of the Baguio Bicycle Festival;

b. Celebration of the June 5 United Nation’s World Environment Day;

c. Community bike rides, cycling races, bike parades, bicycle maintenance and safety workshops, public awareness campaigns, and educational programs for children and adults; and

d. Programs for the announcement of initiatives related to cycling infrastructure development like bike lanes or bike sharing programs and bike racks by the city and private institutions; and e. Closing and awarding ceremonies.

The establishment of a Baguio City Bicycle Festival Council shall be undertaken to meticulously plan and execute the various programs and activities.

This council will be led by the city mayor or the city administrator, serving as the chairperson.

The members shall consist of three councilors, each representing the City Council’s Committee on Health and Sanitation, Ecology, and Environmental Protection; Committee on Public Protection and Safety, Peace, and Order; and Committee on Youth Welfare and Sports Development.

Additionally, there will be five representatives from the Baguio Bicycle Associations and five representatives from the academe and other private institutions.

According to the ordinance, the city mayor will be granted the authority to temporarily close the roads designated for the festival activities.

To facilitate the effective implementation of the ordinance, the city government will allocate a budget of P500,000.00.

This amount can be increased if additional activities are proposed.

The proposed ordinance has been forwarded to the city council’s Committee on Tourism, Special Events, Parks, and Playgrounds for thorough review and assessment.