NATIONAL team members Marella Vania Salamat and George Oconer won big time and are flying to London next year, but the biggest victor was Philippine cycling and the Filipino cyclist—competitive or not, enthusiast or beginner—during the recent Pru Life UK’s PRUride to London.
More than a thousand riders of all ages and shapes and sizes, and on practically all types of bicycle that are hitting the road these days, answered the gun for Pru Life UK’s first criterium race staged at the McKinley West and Uptown Bonifacio in Taguig City.
With the thrust of making life better for Filipinos, the event was a blockbuster among race enthusiasts—the slots were filled out within the first two hours of opening the registration. Another thousand—composed of families and friends—attended the bike community day in Uptown Bonifacio and enjoyed various exciting activities, such as ramp and cone courses, carless bike lanes, assembling and disassembling a tire, and photo booths.
The participants were treated to snacks and exciting raffle prizes, such as bluetooth speakers and foldable bikes.
The main treat, however, were four all-expense-paid trips to London—two of which were given to the grand prize winners of the Road Bike Male and Female Elite Open categories—Oconer, who rode for the national team in last February’s Le Tour de Filipinas; and Salamat, gold medalist in the women’s individual time trial of the Singapore 2015 Southeast Asian Games.
Pru Life UK partnered with the National Bicycle Organization (NBO) and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for the event, which aims to promote safe cycling in the Philippines. All proceeds raised will be used to fund NBO’s bike-friendly initiatives in road safety, bike lessons and bike commuting.
Part of the proceeds will fund bike projects, such as racks and lanes in the cities of Taguig, Pasig, Makati and Marikina. Pru Life UK’s also donated helmets to the MMDA, which the agency could use in its cause to promote safe cycling.
Pru Life UK President and CEO Antonio de Rosas led the ceremonial turnover of the donations and thanked the partners and participants in making the first PRUride to London a success.
Besides sharing his experience at the 2014 Prudential RideLondon, he also highlighted the need for a more bike-friendly community in the Philippines.
“We have a thriving community of cyclists here in the country, but the need to create a bike-friendly environment is still here. We hope to see the day when we won’t have to fear anymore of getting hit by speeding cars or parking our bikes in open spaces, and when more people would appreciate the benefits of cycling as a means of commuting,” de Rosas said.
“Through programs, such as Pru Life UK’s PRUride to London, we hope to support and increase awareness on safe cycling so we can all work toward having a safe and environment-friendly community not only for us but also for our children and the generations to come,” de Rosas added.
Prudential RideLondon is the world’s greatest festival of cycling, with more than 100,000 cyclists expected to participate in the event set from July 28 to 30, 2017. The festival was developed by the Mayor of London, London & Partners and Transport for London in partnership with Surrey County Council. The event is managed by the London & Surrey Cycling Partnership.
It combines the fun and accessible element of a free family ride in central London with the excitement of watching the world’s best professional cyclists race. Taking a cue from the London Marathon, amateur cyclists also participate by riding a 100-mile or 46-mile challenge on the same closed roads as the professional men, with the added incentive of raising money for good causes. The best action is broadcast live on TV both on BBC TV in the UK and internationally.
PRUride to London is part of the celebration of Pru Life UK’s 20th anniversary in the Philippines. In 1996 the Insurance Commission granted the British subsidiary a license to operate and sell life insurance in this country.
Since then, Pru Life UK has expanded its reach to over 80 branches in the Philippines, with the biggest life agency force of 16,000 licensed agents, and has emerged as one of the top 5 life insurers. Pru Life UK is headquartered in Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig City.
