R.O.X. Bike For A Cause - One Bicycle Can Make All The Difference

Back when I was in 1st year high school in Masbate, our way of transport from the house to our school about 4-kms away is mostly either by foot or bike. For some very seldom chance, a horse-back ride will do or when we have a spare coin for a one-way fare, we'd be very joyful already for a topload ride on a speeding jeepney together with some passengers' live goats destined for selling to the nearby market.

The bike I had before was bought from a local store selling grocery and various household items and merchandise. It was a small orange unbranded BMX that costs Php 1,500 way back in 1993. The money used to buy that bike was a gift to us (my Cousins) from our Uncle and Aunt whom we've been helping with the daily animal shepherding and weekend farm work for the past 2-years since I arrived in Masbate. I tell you, farm living is not as easy nor as profitable as it looks!

My travel to the school somehow was a "breeze" compared to when we are just walking the whole 4-kms, of which the same route will also be taken upon going home. Riding the bike became both fun and a hassle. Fun when the road is flat or going down; hassle when it is uphill, the rough and muddy road on rainy seasons is normal. That bike mostly carries me and 2 of my other classmates when I get to see them along the way where they hitch either at the frame or at the rear wheel's pillion.

A year after, I get to move back to Baguio to continue my high school studies while my younger cousin who was left behind continued to use that rusty bike going to the school until it broke down irreparably when he was in 3rd year. He stopped schooling after that!

Like me and my cousin, there are other kids, even up to this decade and moment who are also struggling and doing all they can to pursuit their schooling despite the lack of resources to do so. Their mode of transportation is one big thing to also consider (not just with school supplies) as we still have shortage of school buildings near where these kids live.

Thankfully for ROX, part of their yearly and currently ongoing Bike Fair is the Pedal for-a-cause to raise funds for bikes, bike gears, and bike racks of Concepcion Integrated School in San Simon, Pampanga. So if you want to help in any manner - in kind thru your used gears or bike, bike donation, or simply just by joining and registering for the Bike for-a-cause, a lot of Students will surely be very grateful for our generosity.

Here's the details about this event happening on the 14th of August 2016 at the CDC Parade Grounds, Clark in Angeles City, Pampanga:

R.O.X. Bike for a Cause
14 August 2016
Proceeds will go to the supply of bike racks for Concepcion Integrated School

Distance and Registration Fees:

• 30K - Php 700.00
• 50K - Php 800.00

Registration Sites:

• ROX Bonifacio High Street
• ROX Marquee Mall

Event Jersey and Cap Design

Route Map

You may visit the ROX Phils. Facebook Page for more details and event updates.

Press Release

What would you do if you had to wake up early in the morning just to walk to school 4-7 kilometers away? This is the story for many students in San Simon, Pampanga. They have to get up an hour earlier than usual, skip breakfast, and take the long trek to school in sometimes difficult terrain, regardless the weather, just to be in class on time. Some of them have to go back home for lunch. When school is over, they have to go back the same way, and do it all over again the next day.

This is one of the reasons that many youths drop out and never finish school. The team at R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor eXchange) heard about the plight of these students and decided to be part of the change that will transform a generation’s future - one bicycle at a time.

R.O.X. has partnered with Bikes for the Philippines to supply bikes and bike racks to schools that need it the most. The Concepcion Integrated School in San Simon, Pampanga has been the recipient of Bikes for a Cause for the past 2 years and it has made a huge difference in the lives of the students and teachers there. This year, the school will again receive the bicycles and bike racks, and with it, training on bike safety and bike maintenance.

You can also be part of this initiative. R.O.X. is holding a month-long Bike Fair that anyone can be in on. This Bike Fair, held on July 15 to August 15, 2016, is every biker’s dream. There will be special promos and discounts on partner brands, as well as bike outs in certain areas in the Philippines. Aside from these activations, ROX is putting together a donation drive for old bicycle equipment like helmets, gloves, jerseys, and pads. These used gears will be given to the Concepcion Integrated School to further help the beneficiaries make the most out of their bicycling experience. The donation boxes will be set up in areas around your nearest R.O.X. stores. R.O.X. customers who don’t bike but want to help can buy bicycle equipment to donate specifically to the beneficiary school.

The culmination of the Bike Fair will be the Bike for A Cause. Registration for this much anticipated charity cycling event is Php 700.00 and Php 800.00 for the 30-km and 50-km rides respectively. It will be held at the CDC Parade Grounds in Clark, Pampanga. Participants will not only receive an event singlet, a race bib number, a cycling cap, snacks, and a raffle ticket for prizes, they will also be part in giving students of Concepcion Integrated School a better quality of life. The proceeds for this pedal with a purpose event will directly go to supplying bike racks to the school.

The R.O.X. Bike Fair 2016 and Bike for A Cause would not have been possible without its partner brands: Fox, Tern, Bickerton, Osprey, Spyder, Gatorade, 360 Degrees, C3Fit, Nathan, Official hydration partner Summit Natural Drinking Water, Clark Development Corporation as venue partner and media partners – The Standard, Mellow 94.7, Crossover 105.1, Endurance Magazine, WhenInManila.Com, Swimbikerun.PH, RunningAtom.Com.

We rise by helping other people rise up to their full potential. Be part of the change this country needs by joining Bike for A Cause. You can register at the ROX Bonifacio High Street and ROX Marquee Mall. You can also find out more about Bike for a Cause by going to https://www.facebook.com/ROXPhilippines and liking their page today and using the following hashtags: #ROXBikeFair2016 #ROXPhilippines.

This is gonna be greasy, easy, and fun!

ROX is owned and operated by the Primer Group of Companies, Asia’s next retail giant.

Hope to see you our generous cyclists and bike enthusiasts on August 14!

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Rolling Out The Good Vibes With R.O.X. Bike Fair 2016

Is it time for you to change your bike gears, finally buy your long-dreamed bike, or just grab a cycling gear to gift for that special someone? Then here's your chance to shop and score for great promos and discounts with the ongoing R.O.X bike fair. This activity is on its 5th year already and for 2016, there's a bike sale, bike out to various destinations, and a bike for-a-cause for the students of Concepcion Integrated School in Pampanga.

Here's a press release about this event:

Press Release

They say you can’t buy happiness, but you CAN buy a bike and that’s pretty close. This year, R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor eXchange) is bringing a whole lot of happiness to the people by bringing back the hugely successful R.O.X. Bike Fair this July 15 to August 15!

What started as a small bike out attended by 200 people in 2012, has grown to be a well attended event, with a crowd of about 1,500 this year. Large bike organizations and outdoor enthusiasts are excited to be part of a comprehensive, fun and truly memorable bike event that will be talked about long after the last pedal has been pushed.

While many people love taking their bikes out in Manila, there are more and more groups in different regions in the Philippines who appreciate a good bike out. Nuvali, Baguio, Cagayan De Oro and Davao are the destinations to go to during the Bike Fair. The scenic routes are absolutely stunning and worth the trip to get there.

To get people ready for the bike rides ahead, your favorite outdoor brands in R.O.X. are rolling out discounts and promos for two weeks. Good gear is a good investment and for serious cyclists who want to maximize their performance as well as stay safe on the road, this is the perfect opportunity to stock up on essentials that they need for their hobby.

Of course when you get your new gear, you might not have room for your old ones. Aside from the ongoing bike sale, R.O.X. is also having a donation drive for used gear that you will not need. Old helmets, gloves, pads, jerseys, and other equipment are collected for the beneficiaries of the R.O.X. Bike for a Cause 2016 which will be held on August 14, 2016 at the CDC Parade Grounds in Clark, Pampanga. For those who don’t have old bike gear but still want to help out, you can buy bicycle equipment in the store and donate them instead.

Since 2013, the R.O.X. Bike for a Cause has been a major event that the team has worked on. In cooperation with Bikes for the Philippines, they have been able to give out bike racks and hundreds of bicycles to well deserving schools. Sometimes, the students in these schools walk for hours regardless of the weather condition just to get to class and it takes its toll on their studies and quality of life.

The Concepcion Integrated School in Pampanga has been the recipient of this initiative, and it has changed the lives of the students more than we can ever imagine. The chosen students are trained how to maintain their bicycles and how to be safe on the road. It is a responsibility and an honor to be a beneficiary, something that they will carry for the rest of their lives.

The R.O.X. Bike Fair 2016 and Bike for A Cause would not have been possible without its partner brands: Fox, Tern, Bickerton, Osprey, Spyder, Gatorade, 360 Degrees, C3Fit, Nathan, Official hydration partner Summit Natural Drinking Water, Clark Development Corporation as venue partner and media partners – The Standard, Mellow 94.7, Crossover 105.1, Endurance Magazine, WhenInManila.Com, Swimbikerun.PH, RunningAtom.Com.

We rise by helping other people rise up to their full potential. Be part of the change this country needs by joining Bike for A Cause. You can register at the ROX Bonifacio High Street and ROX Marquee Mall. You can also find out more about Bike for a Cause by going to https://www.facebook.com/ROXPhilippines and liking their page today and using the following hashtags: #ROXBikeFair2016 #ROXPhilippines.

ROX is owned and operated by the Primer Group of Companies, Asia’s next retail giant.

Registration for the Bike for-a-Cause is still ongoing. Check out the details from this link.

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Lakbay2Love - A First Biking Feature Film

We don't normally see local movies that features an advocacy, much more about our environment from protection, preservation, to the nurturing, and to re-building those that have already lost its gem.

When I first heard the movie title Lakbay2Love around November last year, I wrongly judged it as another movie genre with a predictable ending of "...and they found each other and lived happily ever-afer..." story. My judgment didn't end there as when I saw the trailer, I dismissed it again as a movie revolving just about love but masked under the hood of biking with the same predictable ending.

Dennis Trillo, Solenn Heussaff, and the Firefly brigade members during Lakbay2Love's Outdoor premier at UP Diliman

I am not much of a movie-goer but I also admit that I seldom watch our local movies aside from those with social relevance such as Juana C the Movie and Erik Matti's OTJ.

Taking back my negative judgments of Lakbay2Love, it defied my stereotype judgment about our local movies. It still has the love story around it yet it is not filled with so much cheesiness and corny lines. The movie's storyline is actually simple, with pivoting love-triangle between Solenn Heussaff (Lianne, videographer), Dennis Trillo (Jay-R, biker/forester), and Kit Thompson (ex-BF/biker). Mind you though as the ending is not what you might expect where the other guy went heart-broken and the other one winning the girl's heart at last!

The whole story was balanced between the journey of love and the joy of biking with some comedic touch from Ms. Patricia Ismael (Monday, Lianne's friend). It will definitely attract the attention of the millennial generation and make them stay at the same time to become aware about what's facing us with the destruction of our forests.

I've watched the movie during its outdoor premier last January 29 at the Ampitheater of the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Bikers and other viewers at the Concert party before the movie premier

Spearheaded by UP bike share, the premier started with a bike ride around the academic oval led by Dennis Trillo and Solenn Heusaff together with the Firefly brigade members. Journalist Howie Severino who is still limping from his recent bike mishap was also present. The bike ride was followed by a concert from the UP Music Circle and other performers such as Joey Ayala, Gig Manila, ‘lil Noizy, The Ransom Collective, and Oh, Flamingo! Dennis and Solenn also serenaded us with their bike-version of the song "Overdrive" by Eraserheads.

Dennis Trillo and Solenn Heussaff singing their version of "Overdrive"

Different biking destinations in Luzon where also featured in this movie. The La Mesa Forest Reserve at Quirino Highway, in Quezon City; the blue zone and Roxas Loop at Timberland Heights, in San Mateo, Rizal; the Ten Commandments at Camp Sinai in Pintong Bukawe, also located at San Mateo, Rizal; Gungol Rock in Ampucao Ridge, Itogon, Benguet; Bzkleta Classic bikes in Parang, Marikina; the crowded streets in Quiapo, Manila; and several locations in Benguet featuring the Ifugao wooden scooters where our Forest-builder, environment advocate, Cordilleran-biker Mr. JP Alipio was also featured for a few seconds.

The most exciting part was the raffling of the three Trek bikes that were used in the movie by Solenn, Dennis, and Patricia. I think my luck was rubbed-off as I didn't win any of the three bikes, or any of the consolation raffle prizes that were drawn from the start until the end of the premier. The sadness though was augmented with a photo-op with Solenn Heussaff at the backstage.

Last photo-op with Solenn after raffling her Trek bike

Lakbay2Love catches both the attention of biking enthusiasts, the not-so-hopeful romantics, and environmentalists. While for people who are not into biking, or have grudge with bikers, I urge you to watch this movie and understand biking from this viewpoint.

Bikers don't just pedal their lives away because they don't have money to buy a 4-wheeled vehicle, but because of what it can do for the personal health and the zero-carbon footprint of biking. It is a movie where viewers will come to realize that the appreciation of nature must also come with the responsibility of taking care of our environment.

Director Ms. Ellen Marfil narrating what inspired her to do the film

Trip: Lakbay2Love as directed by Ms. Ellen Marfil under Erasto Films is considered the first biking-feature film in the Philippine Cinema, a first also in the "green-carpet" outdoor premier.

The movie will open in Cinemas tomorrow, February 3, 2016.

*Special thanks to Ms. Gay Domingo for the invitation.

Ifugao wooden scooter that were also used at the movie

1 of 10 pure metal Batavus delivery bikes around the Philippines w/rich features such as integrated rear-wheel lock, 3-speed internal hub, RFID security tag, and coaster-brake hubs

The UP bikes

Mr. Joey Ayala, whose bike was stolen long ago, sang his rendition of the Lupang Hinirang

Great young talents of The Ransom Collective - you should hear their piece along with Oh, Flamingo!, Gig Manila, and UP Music Circle

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Western Union's Heroes for Better

In celebration of Western Union's 25th year anniversary in the Philippines, a global tribute and advocacy campaign to celebrate and recognize the efforts of Filipinos around the world who have given their time, money, skill or expertise to make a positive change in their own little way. The "Heroes for Better" campaign also aims to showcase them as role models to inspire others to likewise take positive action to help create a better world.

In line with this advocacy, Western Union will be honoring 25 Heroes for Better, from around the world, with inspiring and interesting stories to tell.

One of these role models is Eddie Vega "The Barefoot Bandito". His story is known for setting the world record for most marathons run on bare feet as a way to raise awareness and funds to over 300 million children worldwide who don’t have shoes, including those in the Philippines.

Though far from his native land, he never stopped caring for young Filipinos. In fact, the passion he has given his cause clearly goes beyond remembering these kids. What struck him even more is the fact that in many countries around the world, schools refuse to accept children unless they wear shoes. For him, this contributes to the vicious cycle of poverty.

And that is where his advocacy began; one that started out as a dare. Running on the 5th day of his 50th marathon for the year 2012, he joked about having no more shoes for his last run. He had only brought 4 pairs, and he had used one each for the past 4 races. It was then that he decided to run the race barefoot, dedicating the effort to his parents who had passed away. The move introduced him to a whole new method of running, which he totally enjoyed. Moreover, curious people who saw what he did began to spread the word about his feat.

As of May 2015, Eddie Vega had completed hundreds of full marathons in different countries, barefoot. He is one of only six individuals in the world to complete a marathon in all 50 states of the US within one calendar year. He holds the distinction of being the only person in the world to complete more than a hundred marathons within one year, completely BAREFOOT.

Other heroes currently on roster of Western Union's "Heroes for Better" campaign are Edmond Corpuz and Adelaida Saito.

Edmond Corpuz, "The Pencil Crusader", together with friends, initiated and organized the "Black Pencil Project" targetting far-flung barrio schoolchildren from kinder to grade six to donate school supplies from the Ifugao communities, to other remote provinces as far as Batanes, Sulu and Southern Palawan. To date, the project have inspired and mobilized immersion programs like photography and art workshops, as well as experiential tours that teach volunteerism, aptly called "voluntourism".

Adelaida Saito, "The Neighborhood Champion", spearhead an organization named Ishinomaki Hawak-Kamay which initially aimed at helping Filipino tsunami victims in Japan, and now also provides financial aid, relief goods, emotional and spiritual refuge to victims of natural disasters even to other parts of the world.

The acts of giving of the 25 Heroes for Better can fall under, but not to be limited to, any of these categories:

• Education
• Health
• Livelihood and Entrepreneurship
• Science and Technology
• Promoting Security and Safety
• Protecting and upholding Human rights (i.e. women, elderly, children)
• Culture, Arts, and Sports
• Volunteerism
• Environmental Protection
• Migrant Causes

Watch the video to know more about Vega’s story or visit wuheroesforbetter.org.

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