ILOILO CITY – Bike-friendly Iloilo City is one of the awardees of the prestigious 2022 Galing Pook award for mobilizing citizenship participation.
“Galing Pook is about good governance and projects worthy of emulation by other local government units (LGUs). This caps the awards we have been receiving (lately). Congratulations to all Ilonggos. This is for you!” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
Iloilo City was one of the 10 LGUs awarded in a ceremony in Malacañang last Tuesday, Nov. 22.
The I-Bike, a program promoting the development of the Iloilo City bike culture, is an expansion of existing initiatives both by the public and private sectors over a period of almost 10 years.
While many Ilonggos have long used bikes, the alternative transportation that promotes environmental and health awareness was strengthened when the national government funded the construction of bike lanes while private-led initiatives such as the Iloilo Bike Festival elevated biking into the public consciousness.
The I-Bike is the third Galing Pook award received by the Iloilo City LGU. The city government had earlier won the award for the annual Dinagyang Festival and the rehabilitation of the Iloilo River.
Iloilo City won gold in the 2021 Mobility Awards and the 2021 Bike Lane Awards. In 2018, PhilBike Awards cited Iloilo City as the “Most Bike-Friendly City.”