Ready, get set, go

Bike tourism kicks off in Pampanga

The growing interest in riding two-wheeled motorcycles has spurred the creation of a new tourism and travel program that is designed to attract hordes of bikers to make the rounds of the country’s major tourist routes.

Regional director Ronaldo Tiotuico of the Department of Tourism Region 3 said in a recent press statement that they are now in the midst of talks with members of the Roadrunners Riding Club of Pampanga led by its president Dr. Ricardo Pinpin to help in the development of ‘’bike tourism’’ as a major tourism campaign in the region within the next three years.

Pinpin noted that at present, there are more than 5,000 motor riders who are members of the Federation of Motorcyclists in the Philippines — all spread out in various regions throughout the country. This figure includes both the big and small bikes and all-weather ones.

To spin off the campaign, the Roadrunners Club of Pampanga will launch ‘’Convergence 2007’’ where some 500 bikers from all over Central Luzon will converge on Sept. 22, at SM City Clark to mount games, fellowship and a program.

Dr. Nick dela Cruz, chairman of the club’s travel and tourism committee, expressed confidence in the bikers’ project to spark the development of tourism in the province as several of these clubs all over the country are bound to replicate the club’s initiative.

He added that soon, the clubs will initiate a soft skills training program on the technical aspect of biking as a hobby, including seminars on traffic rules and regulations for bikers and motorists and road courtesies as well. Statistics show that a large percentage of road accidents involve persons riding motorcycles. It is expected that the holding of a series of seminars would reduce the number of accidents on the road.