Mindanao Freedom Riders to

take Bohol roads Nov 10-11

TAGBILARAN CITY, November 10, 2017 (PIA)--Twenty days after Bohol scenic roads and its hip tourism sites played host to vintage cars, this time, motorbikes from Mindanao Freedom Riders (MFR) would cruise through the roads of Bohol in the classic leisurely ride only big bikes can give.

The 6th MFR this year however started November 5 when big bike riders and their groups from all over Mindanao rolled off from their respective garages to Surigao City, off to an 6-days ride that would take the Mindanao riders to at least 5 provinces and over 1,260 kilometers of roads in the Visayas and Mindanao.

At the end segments of their ride, MFR gets to Bohol tomorrow, November 10 at 1:00 PM via Ubay Port from their Ormoc pit stop for their Day 5 adventure, According to Jude Ybas, Bohol host guide for the group.

Organized by Norminring Motorbikes, the MFR is comprised of riders from Mindanao motorcycle clubs, united under a common goal: of showcasing how peaceful and safe it is to ride across Mindanao and the freedom to ride just about anywhere in the country, Juan Andre Lacson, event organizer and CEO of Norminring Motorbikes was once quoted by Interaksyon.

The group invited riders from different parts of the country to visit Mindanao and experience its beauty, Lacson said.

They did this, accordingly to change the perspective people have of Mindanao and possibly erase the stigma that Mindanao is a place of violence and conflict.

Since 2016, MFR has decided the to bring that message to other parts of the country, Lacson said.

From their respective places of origins, MFR riders converged in Surigao City November 5 where they had their ride orientation, and the following morning, they rolled off to Lipata Port, around 6 kilometers away to get on the ferry to Southern Leyte.

From the FastCat, the riders revved their throttles to start their Visayas tour from Lilo-an Port, to Saint Bernard, Anahawan, Hinundayan, for a pit stop and photo ops at the U Bridge in Silago.

After lunch in Xavier, they proceeded to Norminring Tacloban then off to Anwaray Headquaters before calling it a day's ride in Basey Samar after completing 226 kilometers.

By November 7, the group crossed to Marabut, Lawaan, Balangiga, Gilporlos, Salcedo Mercedes, Guiuian, Calilo-an Island, General MacArthur, Hernani, Llorente, Balangkayan, Maydolong to Boronggan City in Samar for the end of the 254 kilometers covered by the day's ride.

November 8, the group rolled off from Boronggan to san Julian, Sulat, Catbalogan, San Sebastian, Calbiga, Pinabacdao, Villareal, Santa Rita and then to Tacloban after a gruelling 191 kilometers of ride.

By November 9, the group jumped off from Tacloban to Babatngon, Barugo, Carigara, Leyte, Capoocan to Biliran to Ormoc where they turned over their funds raised to Cabintan High school, in Ormoc City, where they also rested overnight after 190 kilometers.

The riders, about 50 of them mostly on KTM, Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and Ducati motorbikes earlier raised funds to help rebuild Cabintan High School in Ormoc, which was ruined by the July 2017 earthquake, Ybas added.

From Ormoc, the group took off November 10 to Ormoc, Albuera, Baybay, Hilongos, Bato route for the ferry to Ubay, Bohol arriving at 1:00.

From lunch, the group eases the clutch to Alicia, Pilar, Sierra Bullones to Carmen, to Batuan Balilihan, Corella, Dauis and then to Dumalu-an after completing 125 kilometers from Ubay.

On November 11, the group leaves Panglao to Quinale in Anda, before going to Jagna Port for the Mindanao trip home and completing the MFR 2017 loop.

They have a good advocacy, they also are in to make assessments on the viability of motorcycle tourism (moto-tourism) in an area: road conditions, transition systems like the Roll-on-roll off and the ferries, areas with scenic views and the assessment of hotels and billeting, Ybas continued.

In most places, the MFR are met by local motorbike groups and escorted to their next pit stops.(rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)