Written by: Reinnard Balonzo

After a devastating magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit Northern Cebu on Tuesday night, September 30, many remote villages have yet to receive sufficient help from the government. Recognizing the urgent need created by lagging aid efforts, the volunteers and members of the Bike Scouts – Cebu are using their bikes to traverse difficult terrain and deliver essential supplies to the hardest-hit communities.

“When we found out that the distribution of the relief was in disarray, our sense of community as bikers kicked in,” said Janriel Amistoso, a founder and active member of the group. “We decided to help with what we have already—bikers who are willing to mobilize a quick response in times of calamities.”

For Amistoso and his fellow volunteers, a bicycle is more than just transportation; it has become a lifeline for unreached residents. They focus their efforts on heavily affected areas like Barangay Polambato in Bogo City.

Daniela Pepito, a Polambato resident, earlier told the Inquirer that her village has received almost no help because their area is far from the city center. She appealed for assistance, saying, “Any help will do, even just for the children. Many households are here, but we feel forgotten compared to those along the main roads.”

The lack of access for relief vehicles and the slow reporting of critical needs often leaves areas like Polambato overlooked. Amistoso notes that beyond transporting goods, the Bike Scouts’ mission is also to solve the visibility problem by reaching and highlighting the urgency in countless other towns that are heavily affected but considered far-flung.

With their bicycles and determination, the group has already aided over 400 households in Northern Cebu and is actively continuing its mobilization and fundraising. Volunteers are focused on delivering water, food, and tarpaulin for residents temporarily sheltering in open areas, as many remain fearful of the continuous aftershocks.

Coordinating with the residents from ground zero, the group said that many are asking for immediate help to build temporary shelters using tarpaulins or tents.  “They are still traumatized by the earthquake—that is why the majority are afraid to go back to their houses,” Amistoso shared.

According to the Cebu Provincial Capitol Public Information Office (PIO), the earthquake’s confirmed toll as of October 5 stood at 71 dead across the province, with thousands more injured and displaced.

Aside from the recent earthquake, the Cebu Bike Scouts have been carrying out relief efforts since Typhoon Odette (International name: Rai) devastated their province in 2021. The group established a system of documenting the destruction and coordinating with necessary donors and organizations to provide aid to devastated families and communities.

“Using our bicycles, we visited communities and took pictures for documentation that are needed to update the groups that provide relief aid,” Amistoso explained. “That is also when we started helping over 70 households as we carried three kilos of rice along with water, clothes, and other necessities in our bicycles and reached them that otherwise would not be reached by the vehicles.”

Years of active calamity response have helped the bikers establish a robust network with local government units (LGUs) and non-government organizations (NGOs).

“Luckily, we already have active partnerships and connections with the LGUs and even other groups that also provide assistance to victims of calamities,” Amistoso added. “This makes our relief missions easier.”

In hopes of ensuring the swift delivery of relief aid continues, Amistoso urged the government to do more than just build better infrastructure. He stresses that authorities must also consider making more roads bicycle-friendly. This would not only help bikers like them but could also potentially improve the province’s overall quick response model in post-disaster situations.

“Making our roads and streets safer and friendly to bikers and other active transport riders will also enable us to respond faster to those in need because there’s a lower risk that our bicycles will be damaged,” he pointed out. “By doing so, we can ensure that everyone is safer and more active in helping the community.”