1,000 cyclists ride for freedom

AROUND 1,000 cyclists participated in the Freedom Ride for a Human Trafficking Free Philippines last Saturday, March 9.

Ambassadors H.E. Ton Boon von Ochssee of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Josef Rychtar of the Czech Embassy, and H.E. Guy Ledoux of the European Union joined the bike ride, along with members of the diplomatic community representing the embassies of France, Spain, Belgium, Canada, United States, New Zealand, European Union and Czech Republic; and top officials of Dutch Corporations like Philips Electronics, Seatrade, Control Union Philippines and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum.

Among those who participated in the bike tour are officials of the Department of Justice Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (DOJ-IACAT) led by Chief Senior State Prosecutor Jonathan Lledo, Bureau of Immigrations Commissioner Ricardo David, DSWD Director Patricia Luna and Assistant Secretary Jed Eva III of the Office of the Executive Secretary, actor Albert Martinez, sports and lifestyle host Reema Chanco, restaurateur Erik Waldie, Kiko Machine comics artist Manix Abrera, Miss Earth Air 2012 Stephany Stefanowitz and Miss Philippines Fire 2012 Thoreen Halvorsen.

Organized by the artist collective, Dakila–Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism, in partnership with Manila Fixed Gear and We FXD and with the support of the DOJ-IACAT and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Freedom Ride served as the launch of the “Stop, Look, and Listen” campaign to intensify efforts to stop human trafficking in the Philippines. (PR)