Some friends took it not too seriously when they read my initial
Facebook posts about Bikes for Education. They thought I was just trying
to please a friend, Joel Uichico, so he would be inspired to go on and
make available hundreds of bicycles from Bikes for the World, an NGO
based in the US to the schoolchildren of Baclayon.
The bikes delivered in Baclayon were the first made by Bikes for the World in Asia and certainly, in the Philippines. With Joel’s leadership, however, the project has taken a life of its own:
of the project and its potential.
With these milestones, Bikes for Education, has become serious business. Like other development projects, its implementation is affected by factors outside the control of the project.
Compliance with basic rules may be hampered by the inability of students to comprehend fully the requirements of these rules; dysfunctional families may result in abuse in the use of the bikes; scarcity of funding resources may hamper the ability of the beneficiary families and the schools to contribute to bicycle maintenance and repair; new shipment of bikes from abroad will require fresh funds for transport and freight charges and hence, will require added vigour to advocacy campaigns and fund-raising.
To help ease the burden of such constrainsts on Bikes for Education project, a new initiative has been launched in Baclayon. Though the efforts of the Municipal Tourism Officer, Ms. Emily Pedersen, a comprehensive Eco-Cultural Tourism Plan 2012 – 2015 has been formulated which has been endorsed by the Municipal Tourism Council and approved by the LGU through Mayor Alvin Uy.
The Plan has identified 9 priority projects which will involved and benefit all 17 barangays but with focus on the participation of households more relatively disadvantaged than others. Around half of the priority projects have been packaged for possible donor support. Hopefully, this will ease economic burdens of target households and in the process also solve some constraints met by the Bikes for Education Project supported by Bikes for the Philippines and Bikes for the World.
For Bikes for Education and the other sectoral projects, we need to launch the Baclayon Mon Amour campaign to get widespread support to meritorious projects such as those in Bikes for Education and the priority projects identified by the Municipal 5-year eco-tourism plan.
NMP/Tagbilaran City (30 Sep 2012)
The bikes delivered in Baclayon were the first made by Bikes for the World in Asia and certainly, in the Philippines. With Joel’s leadership, however, the project has taken a life of its own:
- the project was launched;
- more than a hundred students who live 3 to 7 kms. away from school, and whose parents have income below the poverty line, have been trained by Joel and received the bikes;
- a committee under the School Board was identified to partner with Bikes for the Philippines in carrying
out the Bikes for the Education project - an Advisory Council was formed to advise both entities regarding issues which might be brought to
their attention; - initial steps have been taken to expand the project in Maribojoc, Bohol;
- the Bikes for the Philippines has been reorganized from having a project status to being a Foundation
with a Board of Trustees; and - multimedia publicity both at local and national levels ensued that focuses on the need for alternative
transport to enable students, disadvantaged by distance from school and the old poverty-related burdens
of the project and its potential.
With these milestones, Bikes for Education, has become serious business. Like other development projects, its implementation is affected by factors outside the control of the project.
Compliance with basic rules may be hampered by the inability of students to comprehend fully the requirements of these rules; dysfunctional families may result in abuse in the use of the bikes; scarcity of funding resources may hamper the ability of the beneficiary families and the schools to contribute to bicycle maintenance and repair; new shipment of bikes from abroad will require fresh funds for transport and freight charges and hence, will require added vigour to advocacy campaigns and fund-raising.
To help ease the burden of such constrainsts on Bikes for Education project, a new initiative has been launched in Baclayon. Though the efforts of the Municipal Tourism Officer, Ms. Emily Pedersen, a comprehensive Eco-Cultural Tourism Plan 2012 – 2015 has been formulated which has been endorsed by the Municipal Tourism Council and approved by the LGU through Mayor Alvin Uy.
The Plan has identified 9 priority projects which will involved and benefit all 17 barangays but with focus on the participation of households more relatively disadvantaged than others. Around half of the priority projects have been packaged for possible donor support. Hopefully, this will ease economic burdens of target households and in the process also solve some constraints met by the Bikes for Education Project supported by Bikes for the Philippines and Bikes for the World.
For Bikes for Education and the other sectoral projects, we need to launch the Baclayon Mon Amour campaign to get widespread support to meritorious projects such as those in Bikes for Education and the priority projects identified by the Municipal 5-year eco-tourism plan.
NMP/Tagbilaran City (30 Sep 2012)
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