Iloilo City Sees 67% Rise in Cyclists

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

An annual report led by private advocacy groups, released Wednesday, Nov. 13, indicated a significant increase in bicycle use in Iloilo City this year, logging more than half the number recorded in 2023.

The annual “Bilang Siklista” report, spearheaded by the Mobility Awards, recorded 7,070 cyclists across 10 locations in 2024—a 67.65% increase from last year’s 4,217.

Eight of these locations were repeated from last year, with 5,730 cyclists recorded this year—a 49.2% rise from 2023’s 3,841.

These locations include Benigno Aquino Avenue (at the intersections of Ungka, Taft North, and UP Visayas), and the Jaro, La Paz, Mandurriao, and Molo plazas, as well as Muelle Loney. New sites for this year’s count included the intersections of Infante and West Avenues and Avanceña and Quezon Streets.

The total count included 2,987 cyclists in the morning and 4,083 in the late afternoon and early evening, with the highest counts observed at the intersection of Oñate de Leon Street and Tabucan Road in Mandurriao district.

The report indicated that morning and evening counts generally covered “rush hour” times (6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.), though no specific times were given for Iloilo City.

The count included various bicycle trips, from standalone two-wheeled cyclists to pedicab (locally known as sikad) passengers and other bicycle-led vehicles.

Data recorded included the volume, gender, helmet use, and trip patterns of cyclists.

A gender disparity persists, with 6,774 male cyclists (96%) and 296 female cyclists (4%).

Aldrin Pelicano of MNL Moves explained that tracking cyclists’ gender aims to encourage local governments to set goals that promote gender diversity in cycling.

“We want to see more women cycling to work, as this is a true indicator of a safe and welcoming cycling environment,” Pelicano said.

“If we set measurable goals, it’s important to target equal gender representation. We could start with a goal of 50% female cyclists on our streets in the future,” he added.

Iloilo City also recorded the second-lowest helmet usage among cyclists, with 929 wearing helmets compared to 6,141 without, which Pelicano attributed to the perceived safety of mixed-use lanes along Benigno Aquino Avenue (Diversion Road), though he acknowledged this would need further study.

“From our observations and social media, we’ve seen how the city’s bike facilities, like the Esplanade and Diversion Road, may contribute to cyclists feeling safe without helmets,” he said.

Limited volunteer availability in Iloilo City and other areas, including Cebu, Davao, Danao, and Cordova, Cebu, affected the collection of data on cyclist movement directions.

Architect Wilfredo Sy, a city government representative on cycling initiatives, attributed this year’s increase to better weather and noted improvements in data collection accuracy.

“Last year’s rainy day caused a decrease in cyclists, while this June’s count had favorable weather. Additionally, this was Iloilo’s third bike count, and we had more experienced volunteers this time, though we still had to account for some human error,” Sy told Daily Guardian.

Inspired by the Bilang Siklista report, the city government began its own quarterly bike count in August, with the next scheduled for Nov. 22.

“We’ll compare these counts to establish an annual cyclist average, which will help identify areas needing improvement and additional bike lanes,” he said.

The Bilang Siklista bike count began in Metro Manila in 2021 and expanded nationally, reaching Iloilo City in 2022.

Led by the Mobility Awards, a coalition of five advocacy groups, including the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) and MNL Moves, the initiative provides a manual counting methodology for local governments to jumpstart data collection on bike culture in their areas.

The count involves manual pen-and-paper data collection by volunteers, inspired by national bike count practices in the United States.

This year, 18 locations (17 cities and one municipality) participated, including new areas in Butuan, Danao, and Cordova, Cebu.

The 2024 count recorded 271,555 cyclists nationwide, up from last year’s 147,800. For the 72 locations measured in both years, there was a 7.2% increase, with 75,119 cyclists in 2024 compared to 70,074 in 2023.

Volunteers chose count locations based on several factors, including past count sites, key entry and exit points, roads with bike lanes, high-traffic areas, proximity to major establishments and institutions, public transit hubs, and future development areas.

“Manual counting is not a perfect data tool, but it’s a good start,” said Arielle Celine Tabinga, Manager for Urban Development at ICSC.

Tabinga also announced that next year’s count will extend to pedestrian facilities, aligning with the goal of promoting active mobility nationwide.