MANILA, Philippines – Quezon City, Iloilo City, and Baguio City were named as the top three most bicycle-friendly cities in the Philippines, while several other establishments and offices were also honored during the 2023 Mobility Awards.

Quezon City – the country’s richest and most populous city – earned the top spot this year and received a Gold rating. This was the first time that cities within Metro Manila were allowed to compete in the Mobility Awards.

“While some define traffic as moving vehicles from one point to another, Quezon City defines traffic as moving people from one point to another. On a daily basis, we have 16,000 cyclists using our lanes; [this is the reason] we hope to improve even more,” Elmo San Diego, head of the Quezon City Department of Public Order of Safety, said during the awarding ceremony on Friday, November 24.

Iloilo City came in second place with a Gold rating as well, while Baguio City ranked third with a Silver rating.

Among cities in Metro Manila, only Quezon City (1st), Marikina City (5th), Pasig City (7th), and Taguig City (9th) made it in the top 10. Manila failed to make it in the list entirely. (READ: Groups demand safer roads, bike lanes as fewer cyclists counted on road)

Here’s the full list of the most bicycle-friendly cities in 2023:

Bicycle-friendly workplaces, establishments

The Mobility Awards also recognized the most bicycle-friendly workplaces and establishments, both large and stand-alone.

The Medical City in Pasig City was this year’s top bicycle-friendly workplace. The main office of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), came in second, while the Cebu IT Park ranked third.

The most bicycle-friendly large businesses are the Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, and Megaworld Iloilo Business Park in Iloilo City.

For stand-alone businesses, Magdamag Cafe in Quezon City ranked first, while Kape Urban in Mandaluyong City and Natoy’s Best Bibingka and Kakanin in Davao City ranked second and third, respectively.

Here is the full list of the most bicycle-friendly workplaces and establishments in 2023:

“The results this year showed that previous Mobility Awards winners should not become complacent. The challenge is to sustain their mobility initiatives, improve infrastructure, and persistently enhance their active transport plans and programs. They should continue to step up by providing more inclusive, accessible, and safer transportation to all Filipinos,” said Arielle Celine Tabinga, Mobility Awards national coordinator. (READ: DOTr to build bike lanes, pedestrian projects on an even tighter budget in 2024)

According to the Mobility Awards, the awards are based on the “five I’s that are consistent in making great places for bicycling,” namely infrastructure, integration, implementation, innovation, and inclusivity. 

These five criteria take into account the physical infrastructure for bicycle users, the programs and policies that enable cycling, the implementation of policies that keep cyclists safe, the creative solutions that promote active cycling given the current capabilities of local government units and businesses, and the accessibility of these infrastructure and programs to different segments of the population. – Rappler.com

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