MANILA, Philippines – Trained youth volunteers aboard cargo bikes are just a call away in case any healthcare needs or emergencies strike Barangay Umanday, Bugallon, a town nestled in Pangasinan, 

In March, strict community quarantine measures were implemented in several cities and provinces to safeguard against the spread of the coronavirus.

The measures included suspension of transportation services, and regulation of food and essential health services, among others. Several hospitals have also reached their maximum capacity to accommodate patients as the country battles with the pandemic. 

The Go Bike Project was founded in 2019 by Umanday Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman Edren Llanillo and 2 of his friends. They called themselves Team PadyaRescue and partnered with the Sangguniang Council of Umanday.

The idea was to make basic medical services accessible with the help of trained bike patrollers after Barangay Umanday recorded are high number of road accidents. The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) of Bugallon also identified Barangay Umanday as one of the most vulnerable barangays in the town during calamities.

With the coronavirus outbreak posing a big threat to the barangay, the Go Bike Project initiated the Ronda Kalusugan Program to personally attend to the healthcare needs of the elderly, pregnant women, and people with existing conditions in their homes in a bid to keep them safe from danger.

Using multi-functional cargo mountain bikes loaded with first aid kits and medicine supplies, bike patrollers do regular checking of blood pressure and monitoring of blood sugar level and other vital signs to residents in need. 

“Tumatawag or nagtetext po sa aming hotline numbers yung mga gusto po magpa-BP or magpa-check (Residents who would like to have their blood pressure checked would call or text our hotline),” Llanillo said. 

Through the Ronda Kalusugan Program, the bike patrollers also help in distributing relief goods and instructional materials on coronavirus safety guidelines from MDRRMC to homes in the barangay.

“Tuwing nakikita namin ang mga cargo bikes ay alam na naming may pupuntahan sila at tutulungan. Sa kanilang pagbalik, alam namin na pwede nila kaming daanan at tulungan din,” Marites Eslera, one of the residents in the area, relayed to Llanillo.

(Every time we see the cargo bikes, we know that riders are on their way to help someone. When we see them on their way back, we know we can ask them for help.)

Equipped with basic life support skills, bike patrollers got their training from the Philippine Red Cross Dagupan Chapter and MDRRMC of Bugallon.

This training is also being taught to each household in the barangay so families would know how to respond when emergencies happen at home. 

To safeguard their health and the residents they cater to, safety precautions such as proper sanitation and disinfection are ensured during these health operations. 

According to Llanillo, there are now 70 bikers in their barangay who attend to at least 50 patients daily. 

Llanillo mentioned that cargo bikes have made it possible for them to respond to emergencies such as road accidents, occupational injuries, and other medical emergencies even before the coronavirus outbreak. 

“Cargo mountain bikes are one of the effective vehicles to use to bring fast and efficient relief goods in far flung, narrow streets, and congested areas during health emergencies and natural disasters,” Llanillo said. 

Easy and fast delivery 

Since March, the Barangay and SK Council of Umanday have worked hand in hand with the bikers for a fast and effective delivery of relief goods to each household.

Each bike can carry 3 packs of relief goods containing 3 kilos of rice and 5 pieces of canned goods.

Locally prepared fish sauce or bagoong was distributed to at least 1,400 households as well. (READ: While classes are on hold, students find ways to help affected communities)

The group also has a dedicated mobile phone used by their Go bike secretariat to contact and mobilize its bikers. 

Helping communities

To encourage more bikers to take part, the SK Council of the barangay implemented a point system to reward its volunteers. 

A certified biker with or without a bicycle may join the point reward system.

Each of them will earn a point after catering to the needs of at least 10 patients. Moreover, 2 points will be given to the biker for every recorded emergency response that includes road crashes, injuries or accidents. 

Once the volunteer rider accumulates 20 points, 25 kilos of rice may be redeemed.

“Our Go bikers are youth who love sports activities. Most of our active volunteers are cyclists. So aside from enjoying cycling in our community, they also got a chance to help our fellowmen,” Llanillo said.

Expanding projects

Llanillo shared that the group is in its pilot period of providing information and awareness about adolescent sexual reproductive health, including the possible provision of condoms and pills to those in need. 

The Go Bike Project is also looking into providing psychological first aid to the elderly and the youth as well.

While the project has been a big help to the barangay, Llanillo recounted how the team had to join competitions to receive grants that would help them implement the project.

Through his role as an SK chairman, Llanillo was able to garner support for the Go Bike Project from the SK. He added that the SK played a big part in making sure that Go bikes are mobilized and used in his own barangay, with almost 40% of its funds dedicated to supporting the Go Bike Project. 

Llanillo aspires to bring the project to other barangays as he aims to work closely with fellow SK officials in their province.

Aside from Barangay Umanday, barangays Poblacion, Banaga, Salasa and Salomague Norte have already started replicating the use of bikes for their emergency response. However, Llanillo said a lot of work has yet to be done to equip and train volunteers for the effective implementation of the project.

Currently, the bike patrollers are coordinating with the SK Council in Kalumpang, Rizal to expand the project to their barangay as well. 

“We wanted to follow the example of Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig City that there’s nothing wrong about adopting the good practices or projects in other barangays,” Llanillo said in a mix of English and Filipino

SKs or individuals who wish to become part of the Go Bike Project can reach out to them at gobike@pydn.org or at 09219126189. They are also opening the application for their online Go Bikers training, where participants can learn first aid skills, basic life support, and lessons about DRRM and climate change mitigation. For more details, people can head to their Facebook page. – Rappler.com