BIKE TOUR. Participants in the 5th Tour of the Fireflies will take off from the Capitol Lagoon grounds in Bacolod City at 6 a.m. on Sunday (Nov. 24, 2019). Some 4,000 bikers will traverse the 78-km. route from Bacolod to the southern city of Himamaylan in Negros Occidental, during the advocacy ride for clean air and road safety. (Photo from Provincial Environment Management Office Facebook page)
BACOLOD CITY -- Some 4,000 bikers will traverse the 78-km. route from Bacolod to the southern city of Himamaylan in Negros Occidental during the 5th Tour of the Fireflies on Sunday.
The advocacy ride for clean air, road sharing, and discipline is part of the activities of the 15th Provincial Wildlife Month Festival organized by the Provincial Environment Management Office (PEMO) and its various partners.
PEMO information officer Olive Seruelo said hours before the 5 p.m. registration deadline on Saturday, a total of 3,898 bikers have already confirmed their participation.
Bikers from various cities and provinces in the Visayas will join the tour, which will start at 6 a.m. at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon.
Most participants will come from Bacolod and other towns and cities in Negros Occidental while others are from Iloilo, Guimaras, Dumaguete, Cebu, and Bohol.
The Firefly Brigade from Metro Manila will also take part in the ride.
Seruelo said since the Tour of Fireflies started five years ago in Negros Occidental, the number of participants has increased each year.
During the first edition when bikers converged in Manapla, 800 participated in and during the second year in Cadiz City, 2,000 joined.
Some 3,000 bikers rode towards Hinigaran in the third year, and last year, 3,500 bikers joined the ride going to Bago City.
Seruelo said the provincial government advocates the use of bikes for zero carbon emission to reduce air pollution.
“Fireflies are indicators of clean air and right now, most fireflies can be found only in upland areas,” she said.
During the ride, bikers will have stop-overs in the boundary of Valladolid and San Enrique towns, and also in Hinigaran before proceeding to the Himamaylan City Hall grounds.
Cash prizes will be given to the most number of uniformed participants. The top winner will get PHP25,000; second, PHP20,000; third, PHP15,000; fourth, PHP10,000; and fifth, PHP5,000. The sixth to the 10th placer will receive PHP2,000 each.
The most disciplined group will get PHP15,000 while the team with the most number of women bikers, PHP5,000. The oldest biker will also receive PHP5,000.
The 5th Tour of Fireflies is spearheaded by the City Government of Himamaylan, in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office Negros Occidental, the mountain bikers group MTB Negros, and the province of Negros Occidental. (PNA)
