MANILA, Philippines — The Shopwise Bike Fest has surged with overwhelming anticipation, drawing in more than 2,000 eager participants a full eight days prior to its inaugural staging on May 19 at Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus City, Cavite.
This impressive turnout underscores the unwavering enthusiasm and robust support from bikers spanning diverse backgrounds, all rallying behind the noble cause of championing a healthy and active lifestyle.
The event boasts an array of divisions tailored to suit every rider’s skill leve l and preference with the bulk of registrants vying in the 30km, 45km and 60km individual and corporate Open divisions.
Additionally, the inclusion of categories catering to youngsters aged 2 to 15 reflects a concerted effort to foster a love for cycling from an early age, ensuring inclusivity for all.
Registration is ongoing. For details, visit the event’s official website shopwise.b ikefest.com.ph or follow Shopwise on social media platforms www.facebook.com/ShopwiseSupercenters or www.instagram.com/shopwise.ph.
In a bid to heighten the excitement surrounding the event, an immersive expo will be hosted at the Ayala Mall Circuit, Activity Center in Makati from May 15-17, where participants will have the opportunity to procure their ride kits, complete with an exclusive Shopwise bike jersey and participation bib.
Mayor Alex Advincula has also reaffirmed the city’s commitment to bolstering the event’s success. With Vermosa solidifying its reputation as the venue for such endeavors, courtesy of its recent hosting of Cycle PH for the second straight year, participants can expect nothing short of enjoyment and excellence.
On race day, assembly commences at 5 a.m., heralding the start of the 60km ride at 5:25 a.m. Subsequent waves for different categories will follow suit, including the 45km and 30km, culminating in a spotlight on the kids’ rides at 8:40 a.m. From spirited solo to hea rt-warming family rides, there’s something for everyone to revel in, including the 500-meter tricycle ride for 4-5 years old at 8:50 a.m.
In a concerted effort to ensure a seamless cycling experience, designated roads will be closed throughout the event, courtesy of the organizing IRONMAN Group. This collaborative undertaking aims to accommodate an array of bike types, including road bikes, BMX, mountain, gravel and foldable bikes, fostering an inclusive environment conducive to fostering camaraderie and unity among Filipino families.
However, certain bike types, such as fixies and e-bikes, are excluded from participation, aligning with the event’s vision of promoting safety and fairness for all involved.
COTABATO CITY — Anti-narcotics agents closed down a drug den in Pagadian City and entrapped a long-wanted shabu peddler in Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur in separate operations in two days.
Maharani Gadaoni-Tosoc, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-9, told reporters on Thursday that their agents arrested five individuals, four of them minors, inside a drug den in Purok Upper Lumboy in Barangay Tuburan in Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur province that they raided on Monday.
Gadaoni-Tosoc said the 42-year-old drug den operator Flor Ponce Espinosa and his four accomplices, all high school students, are now under their custody. The two would be prosecuted for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
She, however, emphasized that authorities would seek the help of the Pagadian City Social Welfare Office in overseeing the detention of the four young accomplices of Espinosa, from whose drug den PDEA-9 agents found 25 sachets of shabu and drug sniffing paraphernalia.
The operation that led to the arrest of Espinosa and the four minors was premised on tips by confidential informants, among them barangay officials aware of their illegal activities.
It preceded Wednesday’s entrapment in Barangay Kanguan in Datu Piang, Maguindanao Del Sur by agents of the PDEA-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao of a shabu peddler who operated near school campuses and in public markets in different towns in the province.
Gil Cesario Castro, director of PDEA-BARMM, said on Thursday that the suspect, Jomarie Kabucan Sakilan, 27, is now detained in their office at the PC Hill Complex in Cotabato City.
Sakilan, who hails from Barangay Matilak in Kabuntalan town in Maguindanao del Norte, was immediately frisked and cuffed by non-uniformed PDEA-BARMM agents and operatives from different units of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region after selling to them P340,000 worth of shabu in an entrapment operation in Barangay Kanguan.
Castro said that the entrapment of Sakilan was planned with the help of vigilant villagers, among them his relatives by blood, and the Datu Piang local government unit.
Local officials, among them senior members of different municipal peace and order councils in Maguindanao del Sur, have confirmed to reporters that Sakilan and his accomplices sold shabu near school campuses and have contacts in public markets and terminals of passenger vehicles too.