Inspiring hope, sharing light through Padyak Tungo sa Liwanag

Jude Cabangal's bike looks worn and feeble next to the sleek and shiny folding bikes parked around it. 

 

It has no basket or cute tassles, no intimidating gears or even headlights. Its luggage carrier is makeshift, made of a few thin pieces of wood. But the unimpressive bike proved to be surprisingly sturdy as it blazed a trail of over 600 kms through Northern Luzon with Cabangal at the pedals.

 

Indeed, as bikers from Folding Bike Pilipinas remarked at the sight of the humble bike, "It's not about the bike, it's about the biker." 

 

As it turns out, the biker is not much different from the bike, also a picture of simplicity wearing none of that specially engineered biking gear, only a pair of slippers, shorts and a shirt and a woven backpack holding only the bare necessities for a life on the road--a few clothes, food, a toothbrush, and a hammock for when they have nowhere else to sleep. 

 

Where his bike had the air of frailty, Cabangal exuded quiet strength.

 

Cyclists ride for hope

 

Cabangal is one of three bikers on a pilgrimage ride called Padyak Tungo sa Liwanag to raise awareness for the upcoming Liwanag World Festival in Davao City which promotes sustainability and creativity.

The pilgrimage started January 2 when Cabangal and artist/musician Tatay Felcon biked from Aparri in Cagayan through the rest of northern Luzon before meeting up with fellow cyclist Valerie Rose de Guzman in Baguio. 

 

Cabangal arrived in Quezon City from Villasis, Pangasinan Wednesday night ahead of his teammates, who experienced a flat tire and had to take a bus. 

 

He was met at the Quezon City Circle by cyclists from Folding Bike Pilipinas (FBP), and reached Jamboree st. near Timog for a welcome dinner, to the cheers of FBP and Firefly Brigade members. 

 

As the evidently tired but still cheerful biker sat down to eat a well-deserved dinner, he shared his cycling journey with GMA News Online.

 

"Sa olympics merong torch, yung runner, torchbearer. So yun yung parang ginagawa namin, we string beads of light, kasi Liwanag Festival yung mangyayari sa January 29," he said.

 

The ride was a dream that Cabangal's advocacy drove him to realize.

 

"Nauna yung desisyon na mag-bike," he shared. "May dream po ako na mag-bike all over the country, pero wala pang fixed na intention kung ano yung cause. With this, meron nang cause."

 

Sharing ideals cross-country

 

The cause, he said, is more than just raising awareness for the festival, but also sharing the ideals of Liwanag, which include environmental and cultural sustainability.

 

Biking, he shared, fits the cause quite well: "Isa yung pagba-bike sa pinaka-basic na initiative, project na magagawa for sustainability."

 

Cabangal started to bike, like most everyone else, when he was a child, though he only started going on long rides two years ago. He had originally wanted to buy a motorcycle, but ended up buying a bike when his funds fell short.

 

From that point on, he started biking everywhere, including to his job as a government employee at an LGU in his hometown. Last year, he had biked 2500 kilometers overall.  

When this pilgrimage ends, Cabangal will have biked the same distance in a matter of a few weeks, though, as expected, it won't be easy.

 

Aside from the obvious challenge of enduring rides that last 12 or 13 hours straight, Cabangal shares that they also have to manage their time on the road.

 

"We have a schedule, we have to balance it with the moment. Ang dami kasing nakikita sa daan, mga tao, mga beautiful spots na you have to engage, pero you don't have enough time," he explained.

 

A spiritual journey 

 

It appears that they have somehow gotten the hang of having an adventure while sticking to their schedule. One of his many amazing stories is seeing a full rainbow in Palaui just as they were leaving, meeting a fellow biker on the road and trading stories while pedaling, seeing a father and son biking together while caught in traffic.

 

Cabangal also shared one particularly magical moment that happened to them in Villasis, Pangasinan--his favorite part of the ride so far.

 

On Tuesday, the trio texted a GK site, asking if they could stay there overnight. They arrived at the place, which they learned was called “namnama,” the Ilocano word for hope. Upon arriving, they learned that somebody had just given birth earlier in the day. The father's name was Salvador ("Savior"), and the mother's name was Mary.

 

"Binansagan kaming three kings. Parang magi. Kasi yung magi, astronomers. They study the stars, the light," Cabangal shared, his eyes reflecting the brightness of the stars.

 

"'Yun yung parang best namin na nakita as bearer of lights. Sometimes, ikaw yung nace-center, you forget that dinadala mo yung light. It was just like a reminder na you're not the light, you're just the container of the light. And it is very important, yung inner condition mo," he shared.

 

In reverence, he added, "That's why we term this a 'bike pilgirimage,' hindi bike tour, kasi merong spiritual connotation yung ride namin. It's a form of prayer."

 

The Padyak team will be heading to Batangas next, and from there will ride a ship to Caticlan in Aklan to kick off the Visayas leg of the trip. The ride is set to end on January 29 in Davao City. – KDM, GMA News Photos courtesy of Liwanag World Festival