Iloilo city: This highly urbanized city is gearing up for its 12th Bike Festival, gathering close to 3,000 enthusiasts for the month-long series of activities that will kick off on June 3, in time for the celebration of World Bicycle Day.

According to Philippines News Agency, Bike Festival codirector Jay Tre±as stated in a press conference that the festival is a strong testament of what can be achieved through public-private collaboration, making it a blueprint for other cities across the country. "Now there are more cyclists. Now we see people actually using our bike lanes," he noted.

The festival will start with an active mobility conference, serving as a platform to highlight the transformative role of sustainable transport initiatives in shaping modern urban life. In addition, a mobility count will be conducted in 11 bike stations across the city. The conference will feature Metro Manila Development Authority General Manager Nicolas Torre III as the keynote speaker, who will also participate in the Bike to Work Day on June 5.

Tre±as emphasized that the event is open to both private and government workers. He expressed hopes of promoting the Bike to Work initiative on a monthly basis, stating, "We are encouraging everyone to bike to work on that day. We will be strengthening our enforcement, we will partner with our traffic office to properly zone our bike to work."

Iloilo City Executive Assistant for Special Projects Leny Ledesma mentioned that the Bike to Work Day is more of a movement to showcase Iloilo's active biking culture. Additional events include the Bike Food Crawl, Mega Criterium Race, Push Bike, Iloilo Duathlon, Grand Fun Ride, Battle of the Bands, and an Electric Car Show to also showcase a non-fuel transportation alternative.

Most of the events will take place at the Iloilo Business Park (IBP) in the Mandurriao district. Megaworld Visayas first vice president Jennifer Palmares-Fong highlighted their commitment to partnering with the city government to position IBP as the Bike Capital of the country. "IBP will continue to invest in creating a safe and bike-friendly environment through dedicated bike lanes, bike racks, and one of the widest road networks within a private development here in Iloilo," she said.

This year's festival, themed "FLOW CITY: Iloilo Always on the Move!" was recognized as a Galing Pook Awardee, underscoring its importance and success in promoting sustainable urban transport.