MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Mobility Awards emphasized the urgent need for safer crossings and improved infrastructure for pedestrians and bicycle users during a webinar, following the rise of vehicular accidents and the removal of bike lanes.
With the planned elimination of protected bike lanes in some major cities, Maria Golda Hilario, Director for Urban Development at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), highlights the importance of having inclusive mobility infrastructures.
“Many [bicycle users] ride out of necessity, hindi iyan by choice, dahil walang masakyan at mahal ang pamasahe. Ang tanong, saan sila dadaan na ligtas sila? Removing their only protection, the barriers, without offering a safe alternative, isn’t just poor planning. It puts lives at risk,” she stresses.
Chuck Baclagon, Regional Finance Campaigner of 350 Pilipinas, also expounded on how crashes and road deaths “reflect systemic neglect of people who rely on bicycles, walking, and public transport.”
“Mahalaga siguro na makita ng mga local governments natin na they should step up, dahil nasa kanila ang kapangyarihan to make our streets safer through people-first design, stricter enforcement of speed limits, bike lane regulations, and more importantly, serious improvements on non-motorized transport infrastructure,” Baclagon urged.
To recognize the efforts and leadership of local governments, workplaces, and commercial establishments in promoting active mobility, especially cycling, and making public spaces inclusive and sustainable, the Mobility Awards opens its public nominations for 2025.
In its fourth year, the Mobility Awards announces the expansion of Bike-Friendly Awards to schools and universities, aiming to recognize institutions that support students who bike and foster a culture of active mobility.
“We’re also challenging schools, colleges, and universities,” said Aimee Oliveros, Interim Branch Manager of The Climate Reality Project Philippines. “Students, especially children and youth, are among the most vulnerable road users, and creating safer conditions for them isn’t just good policy, it’s a moral imperative,“ Oliveros added.
The Bike-Friendly Awards will be based on the quality of cycling infrastructure, the presence and implementation of supportive policies and programs, how inclusive these measures are for the diverse range of bike users, and the integration of creative solutions to promote active mobility.
Special categories were also highlighted– the newly added Pedestrian-Friendly City Award to recognize cities that are making bold efforts to create safe, walkable streets for their citizens, and the Padyak Power to the People! Award, which continues to spotlight stories of individual cyclists who use their bikes as a means of livelihood.
Nominations are open to the public and can be cast at the Mobility Awards website until September 07, Sunday. The awardees will be announced in November 2025.
Additionally, Mobility Awards will also run the 2025 Bilang Siklista Bike Count in July. Bilang Siklista is a citizen-led bike count in major cities nationwide, aiming to collect evidence to justify public resource investment for safe, resilient, and inclusive low-carbon transport in the Philippines.
To learn more about this year’s Mobility Awards, click here.
