Vice President Leni Robredo is eyeing more bike lanes across the country as she vowed to pursue “more biker- and pedestrian-friendly” roads if she wins the presidency.
“This is my dream for the whole Philippines, especially in Metro Manila. We saw the need for these during the pandemic,” Robredo said during a “Ride with Leni” event in Iloilo City.
Robredo’s statement came as the Department of Transportation earlier announced the completion of its 500-kilometer bike lane network in metropolitan cities across the country.
The bike lane network includes Metro Manila with 313.12 kilometers, Metro Cebu with 129.47 kilometers, and Metro Davao with 54.74 kilometers.
The Bayanihan 2 allocates P1.3 billion worth of funding for active transport, P1.1 billion of which was allocated for the establishment of the country’s bike lanes.
“We saw here, at the Esplanade, that either biking or walking has become a lifestyle because there is a space for it. So if there are more places such as this, I’m sure many will be encouraged,” she said.
For his part, Robredo’s running mate, Senator Francis Pangilinan, challenged concerned government agencies Saturday to prevent increases in food prices and ensure that food supplies are stable, especially this holiday season.
During his stint as food security secretary during the time of the late President Benigno Aquino III, Pangilinan was able to bring down rice prices by a combination of proper law enforcement and an open, transparent, and kickback-free importation.
“We suspended the licenses of unscrupulous traders. We filed charges against them and NFA (National Food Authority) managers,” he said.
Pangilinan said the government must curb what has become seasonal increases in food prices during the Christmas holidays.