Cyclists given a week to follow protocols or leisure biking will be banned again

Cyclists practice at the Il Corso grounds at the South Road Properties in Cebu City in this photo taken April 27, 2021. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa (file photo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Bikers are given until this week to follow the health protocols implemented in Cebu City, or else they will be recommending to the city government to ban leisure biking here again.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office, said this following the 24 bikers, who were issued citation tickets last weekend, September 11 to September 12 in barangay Busay, Cebu City.

These erring leisure bikers were caught not wearing face masks while biking.

“Although di lalim magbike nga magmask, but if they cannot do it, dili na lang sila magbike. Atoang hangyo kay we are living man in a new normal, kay dilikado kaayo magbike nga dili magmask labi na usahay nga makasunod ka nga naay manluwa nga bikers,” Parilla said.

(Although it is not easy to wear a mask while biking, if they cannot do it, then they better not do biking. We appeal to the public to follow since we are living in a new normal, it is very risky to bike without a mask, especially if you are after a biker who just spit anywhere.)

Parilla said that should they continue to be complacent in following these protocols, they would be recommending to the Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to stop leisure biking, considering that cyclists would still not follow the health protocols.

Parilla appealed to bikers, who would go inside Cebu City to adhere to protocols implemented here.

“Atoang hangyu-on ang mga katawhan nga musunod lang ta kung unsa gyud ang lagda para ma enjoy nato ang atoang pag exercise, which we all needed labi na karong panahuna…We are living in a new normal man, so we have to adapt to the new changes sa mga requirements sa pag exercise,” he added.

(We appeal to the public to follow the protocols implemented for us to enjoy exercising, especially during these days. We are living in a new normal, so we have to adapt to the new changes and requirements for exercise.)

Parilla further said that they also coordinated with the store owners where most bikers would make a quick stop there.

This after they observed that a lot of cyclists would spend some time there.

Parilla also said that there were around 100 to 150 bikers recorded in Barangay Busay last weekend.

Parilla admitted that they were somehow disappointed in these violators given that they had already given them the chance to also do what they would like to do.

Last September 8, leisure and biking were allowed in Cebu City right after Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama signed Executive Order No, 142.

These activities were previously prohibited last August 16 under the acting Mayor Rama’s EO 137, or Oplan Puyo 8-15-30, which encouraged people to stay at home due to the increasing threat of COVID-19.

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