[DOCUMENTARY] Biking 120 kilometers in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines – Commuting in Metro Manila is a daily struggle.

Since the pandemic, more people have turned to biking to get around. As a response, the government put up bike lanes across the metro. To find out how bike-friendly Metro Manila is, Rappler rode a loop of 120 kilometers around the capital in January for a documentary. Riding 100 kilometers or more is part of the bucket list of many bikers due to its sheer distance and the challenge it poses.

The loop covered Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Malabon, Caloocan, Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, and Taguig.

To assess bike-friendliness, Rappler drew up criteria evaluating the bike lanes using four factors: lane width, road conditions, obstructions, and segregation. 

These are factors that affect a biker’s safety on the road, also take into account the infrastructure the government put in place, and gauge the attitude of other motorists with respect to the lane and the bike commuter.

Only portions of the major roads covered in the loop were measured in the scorecard. 

But how safe is Metro Manila for bikers? Rappler’s Iya Gozum biked a 120-kilometer loop in Metro Manila to find out. – Rappler.com

Reporter/writer: Iya Gozum
Producer/field director: Nina Liu
Supervising producer: Beth Frondoso
Video editor: JP San Pedro
Environment editor: Jee Geronimo
Animator: David Castuciano
Graphic artists: Raffy de Guzman, Marian Hukom, Nico Villarete
Director of photography: Jeff Digma
Second camera operator: Errol Almario
Assistant cameramen: Danny Espina, Ramil Cedeno

Improving active transportation facilities and policies is part of the call of various groups to #MakeManilaLiveable. On Rappler, we have created a dedicated space for stories and reports about liveability in Philippine cities. Learn more about the movement here.