About 400 bikers from Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental braved stormy weather yesterday morning to show their support to the first-ever Bike for Peace 2011 caravan in the province that reeled off around 6 a.m. despite strong winds and heavy rains.

Negros Oriental Philippine National Police provincial director, Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, thanked the participants for showing their commitment to promoting sustainable peace in the province.

“The overwhelming turnout gives us inspiration to strive harder to serve the community better,” Lawas said.

Out-of-school youth, professionals, elected officials, representatives from schools, government offices and non-government organizations and the media joined personnel of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army in the cycling event.

The bikers’ route spanned about 29 kilometers from Dumaguete to Bacong and Valencia and ended up at the Ninoy Aquino Freedom Park in Dumaguete City where a brief program was held.

Police Director Jayme Calungsod, chief of the PNP Directorate for Integrated Operations-Visayas and PNP Region 7 Director Ager Ontog were among those present during the program the launching of the InfoTech hotlines of the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Central Visayas was held.

Col. Manuel Ochotorena, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, Calungsod, Lawas, police chiefs and police personnel from nearby municipalities and cities, and non-commissioned police personnel also joined the biking event.

Bikers groups from as far as Bayawan in the south and Guihulngan in the north alsoi came to join the event.

The activity was also highlighted by the launching of the PNP photo contest in collaboration with the ONe Photo camera club based in Dumaguete, headed by journalist John DX Lapid, and the signing on a tarpaulin poster wall for their commitment of support to the government, the PNP and the AFP in the collaborative effort to achieve lasting peace.*JFP

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