APPEND bikers lead cycling caravan for nature

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The cycling team of APPEND party-list candidate Councilor Alex Patio led some 2,000 bikers in the Oca-EdSa Kaganapan 2013 cycling caravan themed “Siklista para sa Kalikasan.”

The bikers from more than 40 clubs blazed through the 65-kilometer route covering the 3rd District towns of Mexico, Sta. Ana -- stopping to plant trees at Mt. Arayat -- before heading back to the finish line at Heroes Hall in this city for a record time of three hours after the gun was fired by Mayor Oscar Rodriguez 6:00 a.m. in front of the city hall.

“We at APPEND join the entire city in its commemoration of 12 years of continuous progress as well as in its advocacies for the environment which augurs well with our group’s own core values in education, community development and mainly in creating opportunities for the poor,” Patio said.

He told Sun.Star Pampanga that APPEND is one of the first and the largest groups of Christian microfinance non-government organizations in the country that provides micro-enterprise development and growth support and education services to all without regard to religious and political affiliations, ethnicity and color.

“APPEND has assisted more than three million poor Filipinos achieve better lives by facilitating the growth and viability of its partner organizations as well as the continuing development of the poor micro entrepreneurs, their families and communities. That is why like in this caravan, we want to promote cycling and bicycles as the cheapest yet the healthiest form of transportation which helps our kabalens in their daily desire to live a decent life. We are willing to take part in whatever way we can to improve the welfare of marginalized Filipino families,” added Patio.

Patio, an end-termer and majority floor leader of the 4th City Council, said that “he wants to serve more of his kabalens and Filipinos as whole as representative of APPEND in Congress if given the opportunity” in the May polls.