Fri, 30 Mar 2001 09:36:40 +0000
From: simon @ millennium-ride.com
To: sponsors @ millennium-ride.com

01/02/19
Cambodia, place to leave your heart

01/02/03
Good morning Vietnam

01/01/23
Friendship Bridge to Laos

01/01/11
Guns, gambling, girls & ganja

2k/12/21
Singapore Greetings

2k/11/29
Perth to Bali

2k/11/11
Blues in the Bush

2k/10/26
Alice headed West

2k/10/19
SE Oz, going north

2k/10/11
Flores Report & Proposal

2k/09/25
Sydney update 25.9.00

2k/09/17
Olympic mania, Sydney
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News Summary Stand up and fight, Filipinas! Milward on his world motorcycle tour stops in Philippines to speak to the bikers about their rights. He underlines the importance for them to support the fight against the discriminatory expressways ban and calls on them to lead Asian bikers into the global bikers' rights movement. He said, "A tiny minority of Philippine bikers have broken the traditionally apathetic attitude of Asian motorcyclists. I hope that rider groups from the USA and/or Europe will support them by attending their May 2002 national convention."

Hi Y'all

Right now I'm soaking up a bit of Philippine culture and hospitality here at Dumaguete on the island of Negros. It's just one of the two and a half thousand islands making up the country, my second great Asian island nation. With plenty of American colonial-types life is hardly taxing at all. And just now I won my first chess game in living memory, my opponent being a Philippino teacher of grand-masters. Riding round the world is definitely doing something for me!

Leaving my bike with Cougar Express Logistics in Singapore, who promised to make it appear for free in Japan on 9 April, I flew off to Manila. The Freedom Riders put me up in Makati's famous Burgos Street, right in the heart of 'tittibar' country. Hence my first encounters with the legendary Philippine girls.

[75kB 640x427] Simon on a trip Manila to Calatagan, Philippines

But since I came here primarily for bikers' rights I'd better stick to that. Giving me a Sportster to ride the Freedom Riders introduced me to the rigours of riding in Manila. In most Asian countries drivers at least try to stay more or less on the right side of the road. Here at junctions the cars, jeepneys and trikes will take up the full width of the road, both sides, and face the same pointed the other way.
Several seconds before the lights go green accelerator pedals hit the floor, throttles are wrenched back and the two sides meet in a frenzy of horn blowing. Here they sit for ten minutes.

The jeepneys are people carriers, unique machines looking like stretched American army jeeps. The only things missing are mounted machine guns, but they are not needed since carnage is a daily event. Whilst life is cheap, death is cheaper. Bus drivers will reverse over a victim to finish them off - funeral costs are less than hospital bills.

A fuel tanker recently carreered off an expressway into some parked jeepneys and killed a score or more of people. The unlicenced tanker driver fled.

But, at the risk of over-simplification, these vehicles along with trucks are banned on expressways according to the law, and bikes are allowed. However in practice the opposite is true. Bikes are forced onto the ultra-dangerous small side roads. The legal fight championed by the Freedom Riders is expensive at US$1,500 per month.
And so is the judge. He is now considering an 'inducement' of US$2,000 from the bikers for a favourable preliminary judgement.

You know I've got utter respect for the Philippine bikers like James Mirasol who are fighting in these conditions. It's a world away from how we do things in Europe. In most of my battles as General Secretary of FEMA our main successes came through energetic use of the democratic process. The best I way I can help them here is through moral support.

In fact the Freedom Riders are providing a service to the bikers' rights community at large. You see we in the western world need Asian motorcycle consumer groups in this age of globalisation. The Freedom Riders are the first in Asia to take the initiative and are an example to all Asian motorcycle clubs and groups.

Frank Woolf runs the website www.motorcyclephilippines.com. He paid for my air ticket to the 7th National and 1st International Motorcycle Convention in Bacolod City last week. Over 500 riders attended from clubs all over the islands. It was a weekend of free beer, dancing girls, sumptuous food and great PR for biking. We all took part in "Ride of a Lifetime" spins round the block for hundreds of underprivileged children. The event was hosted by the Thunderbugs MC, the oldest club in the country. Their hospitality was second to none.

I think it was the first convention here where bikers' rights were disussed. James gave a report on the expressway situation and its great to see signs that riders are rallying around this leadership.

I was able to tell of the wider issues facing biking too - after which I think some thought I was a madman. 'Must have caught something in the jungle which turned him into a raving lunatic.' I mean, bike leg protetors and airbags do sound like crazy ideas don't they!? (Problem is I herd that the British govt is still wanting them, I think they are the ones that caught something from the farm. Ha ha.) But by the end of the weekend I was getting some interested comments.

Next years' convention is in May and I'd like to see the AMA, MRF or any of the State ABATE groups send a representative to talk about global issues. You know, do the same job that the Europeans have been doing in the US for the past 6 years. Americans liberated the Philippines once before (end of WW2, when "Hey Joe" became the standard greeting for white males). Guys you're respected so get down here please? We've got to rally the Philippino bikers behind the Freedom Riders' efforts, perhaps even the national motorcycle federation might take a serious interest too!

Maybe another mention of the female beauties could also be an additional motivation for our hot-blooded American colleagues to come down here? Petite, doughy-eyed with long dark hair and tiny butts. Better had make sure your representative is unmarried. Sugar-cane is the main agricultural product, they say it's why the girls are so sweet. (Many guys, unable to find a wife back home for whatever reason, come down here and live happily ever after.

I don't mean to be sexist. Why I bother about offending people's feelings in the world I came from I dunno, facts are facts and life here is different. It's a pretty macho society and even until recently rape victims had no legal support, it was the woman's problem for her to deal with.

What are the other striking features about life here? Well, outside Manila area anyway, life is easy-going. Everyone understands and most people speak English, a legacy of American colonisation which took over from Spanish rule. Devoutly Catholic (except for some Muslim islands in the south leading to local violence) many houses display Christian messages on billboards beside the road, people proudly proclaiming their faith.

Philippines seems to be less developed than Thailand. The people here complain that continuous corruption at the top has stunted the country's growth.

Nevertheless they are very friendly and I'd definitey recommend a visit here, even if I do tell the local media differently in face of the blatant anti-bike expressway law.

Strangely it is the first Asian country where 4 wheelers outnumber small bikes of the 100-175 cc variety. However there are hundreds of 3 wheel trike taxis, 100-150ccs, with big sidecars and truck fronts and 12 people on board!