Hundreds of local and foreign bikers joined Padyak Para sa Kalikasan 2019 in line with the city’s hosting of the 22nd Cine Europa—the longest and most comprehensive film festival in the Philippines from SM City to Yamang Bukid Farm in Barangay Bacungan on Saturday.
The bikers traversed a distance of some 28.9 kilometers which was held in partnership with the Palawan Tourism Council (PTC), the European Union (EU), and the shopping mall chain.
After the biking event, they toured around Yamang Bukid in Barangay Bacungan and conducted sunflower and tree planting with farmer-employees.
Ambassador Thomas Wiersing, Chargé d’ Affaires of the EU delegation to the Philippines, led the cycling event. He said they wanted to have an environmental awareness campaign in Palawan by promoting cycling as an alternative mode of transportation.
“Through this activity, we want to promote cycling as an alternative mode of transportation and to give environmental awareness to Palaweños. We want them also to engage in tree planting activities as part of our responsibility to mother earth.”
Some of the organizations that joined were Fifty Three Hundred, Amateur Cycling Association of Palawan, AlMechRide, B4h, Bacaltos Clan, Bente-bente, Bike for Health, Bike for help, Bike for life, Bikers, Bikers for Christ, Blue Lagoon Suites, Bomalabs, Capitol Bikers, Downhill-Enduro Palawan Riders, GBC Bikers, Iloilo Team, Kulit Bikers, Midcity bike shop bikers, NAVFORWEST Mountain bikers, open biker, Padyak Boys, Palawan Fat U Brotherhood, Palawan Electric Cooperative, Phat Boys bike group, PMTBSI, SPMCS, Tandikan Bikers, TCC, Team Agila Bikers, Team Iloilo and USP.
PTC president Deborah Tan previously said that the audio-visual presentation about the farm will be shown in each interval of Cine Europa films to be screened at SM City Puerto Princesa, among others.
This year’s film festival stressed the shared cultural values between the EU and the Philippines as well as the richness of European culture through the medium of film.
“Through these, we can build new networks and strengthen our friendship with the EU delegates, help promote our local products, and most especially promote our sustainable farm tourism in Palawan,” said Tan.
As a part of the film festival, Palaweños were also given a chance to watch different European movies from October 17-27 for free at SM Puerto Princesa that showcased the customs, traditions and rich cinematography of EU member-states.
“We consider this event as an opportunity to continuously foster cultural ties with EU member-state representatives as well as to display our readiness to host prestigious events such as this, and to express our interest to partner in the future,” she added.
Achter De Wolken (Behind the Clouds) of Belgium, Teorie tygra (The Tiger Theory) of The Czech Republic; Vinterbrodre (Winter Brothers) of Denmark; Tour de France; Grüße aus Fukushima (Greetings from Fukushima) of Germany; Béúk (Happy New Year) of Hungary; Essere Leonardo da Vinci; un’intervista impossibile (Being Leonardo da Vinci, an impossible interview) of Italy; Kongens nei (The King’s Choice) of Norway; De Marathon of Netherlands; 10.000km (Long Distance) of Spain; Tjuvheder (Drifters) of Sweden and Mary Shelley of United Kingdom.
