Motorcycle Davao

See you on Facebook

2011-08-08T04:39:00.000+08:00

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The few who have checked this blog in the recent months would obviously notice that no new posts have been written since when-was-that. Like almost everybody else (except if you really were serious about blogging or still wanted to retain the revenue stream), we have been using Facebook to tell members and non-members what is happening to the Davao Agila Riders. Facebook does not encourage longish articles that describe in detail our activities (which a pain to write and a bore to read, anyway), but Facebook makes it easy for members to contribute pictures and share pithy (and hopefully, sensible), messages. Besides, as I have said, it seems everybody is in Facebook.

So fellow motorcycle enthusiasts, in case you still haven't liked our page in Facebook, we are inviting you check us out there (until we all move to Google+, that is).

I Prefer a Classic Triumph

2010-09-16T12:28:00.000+08:00

1 Kings 18:44 Elijah: "Saddle Up"

2010-09-08T14:13:00.000+08:00

And sure enough, the seventh time he said, "Oh yes, a cloud! But very small, no bigger than someone's hand, rising out of the sea." "Quickly then, on your way. Tell Ahab, 'Saddle up and get down from the mountain before the rain stops you.'"

Kadayawan Parade: Aug 22, 2010

2010-08-23T11:04:00.000+08:00

__In the spirit of Kadayawan, the Agilas swapped DOT-approved motorcycle helmets for eagle-inspired headgear that appropriately portrayed the club’s identification with Davao’s famous bird of prey. This eye-catching idea was proposed by Ronnie and heartily endorsed by the membership.

After the parade, the guys had breakfast at Dencia’s and then proceeded to watch Pres. Ohmar’s son, Vince, win 4^th place in the mini 85cc 10-14 year age category, besting boys older than him in this his first real motocross race.

Thanks to Ohmar and Ferdie for the pictures.

The Lord and the Biker

2010-08-10T05:01:00.007+08:00

A biker was riding along a California beach when suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, the Lord said, "Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish."

The biker pulled over and said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride over anytime I want."

The Lord said, "Your request is materialistic, think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking. The supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific! The concrete and steel it would take! It will nearly exhaust several natural resources. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things.

Take a little more time and think of something that would honor and glorify me."

The biker thought about it for a long time. Finally he said, "Lord, I wish that I could understand my wife. I want to know how she feels inside, what she's thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why she cries, what she means when she says nothing's wrong, and how I can make a woman truly happy."

The Lord replied,

"Do you want two lanes or four on that bridge?"

Cyclomax Unity Ride: August 1, 2010

2010-08-04T12:28:00.000+08:00

Agila Rider Ronnie reports that 1,147 participants registered. But MC clubs from Davao del Norte did not register which, Ronnie estimates, numbered around 300 riders. So all in all, about 1,400 motorcycle enthusiasts joined in this ground-breaking ride. Congratulations to the Federation of Motorcycle Clubs in Mindanao and to Ronnie.

(I picked the pictures from Facebook; please email me the names of the photographers so they can properly be credited.)

There are no old, bold riders

2010-07-30T04:48:00.000+08:00

There are old riders and and there are bold riders.
But there are no old, bold riders.

Basagulero!

2010-07-28T23:54:00.002+08:00

Only non-basagulero lovers will be allowed to participate in this Sunday's Unity Ride!

Dabawenyo was first to ride from Jolo to Aparri (in 1975)

2010-07-16T10:46:00.014+08:00

When kumare Jeanalyn posted in her Facebook wall an article about her Dad’s motorcycling exploits, this rider immediately saw the significance of what Tito Romy accomplished.

His was not a ride on a cool, powerful machine on paved roads, loading the bike to ferries when crossing the seas, with mechanic or backup truck in case of trouble. It was a solo ride on a re-bored (to 125cc) Honda, standing on the bike’s foot pegs hours on end, riding over unpaved and muddy roads (at one point without lights because of a busted rectifier), lashing the bike to a pump boat to go from Surigao and Leyte and from Samar to Sorsogon, and fixing the bike in darkness somewhere between Vigan and Laoag.

Romeo Julaton’s 15 day ride started in Jolo, through the Zamboanga Peninsula, down to Cotobato then to Davao, up to Surigao, Leyte, Samar, Bicol, Manila, and to Aparri. Along the way, he was stopped (in Mindanao) by Tagalog speaking NPA rebels on fatigues (and promptly donated two bottles of rhum and a can of pork and beans to the cause), and bluffed workers to allow him to pass through the still-unfinished San Juanico Bridge by telling them he was going to Malacanang.

Riders like me who traversed these roads years later would complain about the stretches of the (then) bad roads in Agusan del Sur and Samar. When Romeo Julaton made this trip, practically all the highways in the Visayas and Mindanao (and parts of Luzon) were unpaved. Mr. Julaton also made it a point to ride during the rainy season (and, as expected, he did ride in the rain for long periods) to make it “more exciting”. Tito Romy also drove his Volkswagen Beatle from Davao to Aparri and back (but that is another story.)

I got to talk to Tito Romy (who is related to the Tamayo brothers, also of motorcycling fame in Davao) and, for the benefit of the sight-challenged, I will be copying the article printed in the Sports Weekly Magazine and post it here. Tito Romy tells me that he has a lot of materials about his motorcycle rides but does not know how to use the email (well, one cannot do everything!) I am looking forward to meeting him next month so I can share the adventures of the “rediscovered” original champion of cross country motorcycling from Davao.

Bike Route 1 ( Google Earth Required)

2010-07-06T06:04:00.018+08:00

Instructions:

Click on this link (Bike Route 1). Google Docs should open. Download Bike Route 1.kmz.

Double click on the file you downloaded.

Google Earth should automatically load.

(Close the start-up Tip window, if enabled.)

1. Double click on Route 1.kmz. Route with a path icon should appear right below. Click on Route.

2. Click on the Play Tour Button.

I still have to get used to going up and down these sweepers at 60 - 70 mph. Sometimes, you do not have a choice because right behind you is an impatient driver on a big pickup truck.

Tandag Ride: July 3-4, 2010

2010-07-06T02:24:00.000+08:00

Last July 3, Agila Riders Ferdie, Flor, Paul, Joe, Teddy & Jing and guest riders Julius and Limboy departed from downtown Davao at 8:15AM. After an early lunch in San Francisco at around 11AM, the group rode west and arrived in Tandag City around 3PM. They then proceeded to Goldbar Restaurant for a coffee and snacks (courtesy of Julius). After an hour’s rest, the group took a short sightseeing tour around the city and, for the memories, had their pictures taken around town. Late in the afternoon, the group checked-in at the Sachine Inn, which is along the beach line.

We all know what food is in these parts of Mindanao. Well, dinner was super delicious (crabs, danggit, kinilaw, tinolang native chicken & more, once again sponsored by Julius). After dinner, small talk, just the right amount of beer, the company of good friends, made everyone once again conclude, despite trials and tribulations, that life is good.

Eight AM the next day, the group left Tandag and arrived in Davao around 3 PM.

It was two days of great riding. Everyone had fun, especially Paul, who was obviously enjoying his newly acquired red Beember.

(Tandag City is around 300 kilometers from Davao. Thanks to Ferdie for the pictures and the ride details.)

Gen San Ride: June 6, 2010

2010-07-03T07:27:00.000+08:00

The Agilas rode to General Santos last June 6, 2010 to congratulate Dr. John Oco for winning a seat in the General Santos City Council during the last elections. Congratulations Your Honor Doc Rider John! May you be successful in your work as a councilor and may your political career flourish so that you will become Vice Mayor then ultimately Mayor of General Santos City. Mabuhay!

Malita Ride: May 1, 2010

2010-06-28T09:50:00.002+08:00

It was originally planned that the group would ride to Tandag, Agusan del Sur (about 300 kms away) and back. But Sir Flor was insistent that the Agilas celebrate the Santa Cruz fiesta in their place and dangled the prospect of having crunchy lechon skin for lunch. So the Agilas changed their route and headed south to have breakfast in Malita (approximately 120 km from downtown Davao) then rode back to Sta. Cruz for lunch. But it was not the end of the day, for a fiesta dinner (kambing, sugba and cold beers) awaited the group at Sir Ferdie’s house at Hillside Subdivision, where they were also celebrating the feast of the Holy Cross.

Summer Fellowship in Buda: June 3, 2010

2010-06-26T10:08:00.010+08:00

____ In a perfect antidote to the summer’s oppressive heat, the Agilas, together with their families, spent an overnight at the Buenaventura’s hideout in Buda last June 3.

While those who did not join the activity had to bear the polluted air and stifling humidity of the lowlands, the families of Roy, Ohmar, Ping, Ferdie, Jerome, Joechen, and Teddy got to breath fresh mountain air and cozy around a bonfire on a cool, starry night, - among other things.

Brigada Eskwela: May 28, 2010

2010-06-25T11:33:00.002+08:00

______ In what has become a yearly club project, the Agilas joined other well meaning groups and individuals all over the country last March 28 in helping prepare classrooms for the opening of classes.

The Agilas donated materials and painted a classroom at the Daniel R. Aguinaldo High School at Matina, Davao City.

The activity was covered by the local station of GMA TV and shown live during their morning show.

National Convention Rides: Cebu 2010 March 8

2010-06-23T06:37:00.001+08:00

The ferry docked in Cagayan around 6 AM, and since our motorcycles were in the rear section of the cargo hold, we had to wait until the cargo in the front part was unloaded.

We had arrived in Cagayan when the tide was low, so the cargo hold was way below the level of the pier. Using the forklifts (which were used to unload the other cargo) to lift the motorcycles up the level of the pier was out of the question. So they adjusted the position of the ferry and you had to ride your motorcycle up the (45 degree) inclined ramp.

With everybody watching (and secretly hoping, I guess) if somebody would take a spill, first the dirt bikes, then the dual sports, then the sport bikes, and finally the cruisers (including a large Goldwing) went up the ramp without any incident.

We drove to the McDonald’s outlet for breakfast and found out that Cagayan de Oro was still celebrating Earth Day.

The ride back to Davao was essentially hassle free and we arrived just around merienda time, tired but with no missing parts and safe. Two bottles of beer, a warm bath and the smell of fresh linen just before dozing off was the perfect ending to a memorable week of fun and camaraderie.

National Convention Rides: Cebu 2010 March 7

2010-06-23T05:58:00.002+08:00

This was the last day of the convention but after the previous night’s fun, the Agilas opted not to join the closing activities, but instead, took things slow and easy. We still had a couple of hours to kill as the ship bound for Cagayan de Oro was sailing early in the evening.

By around 3 PM, we were at the pier and, after an hour or so of waiting and shooting the breeze, drove our motorcycles to the ship’s cargo hold. We were shown to our accommodations, which to our dismay, was cramped, dirty and smelly. Fortunately, we were, for a measly sum, able to upgrade to better quarters where we had a large room all to ourselves.

During the voyage to Cagayan, it was the usual scene in the ferry, where riders having a few beers talked about Michelangelo.

National Convention Rides: Cebu 2010 March 6

2010-06-23T05:17:00.002+08:00

(A lack of pictures, the feeling that ‘Facebook is killing this blog’, online courses on game theory, the TANAKH, and western music, but mostly laziness on my part, are the lame excuses hereby proffered to justify why the final blog entries of a convention held more than three months ago are being posted just now. Ma’am Mercy, by sending an email about the Agila’s more recent activities, was not too subtle in reminding this truant to shape up and finish the job...)

The big activity of the day was the “official” convention ride to Balamban, (which is on the eastern side of Cebu Island facing Negros), but because we already had a ride the previous day and a lot of the Agilas had already traversed the Naga Road and the Trancentral Highway (during the Cebu Convention in 2004), the Agilas decided to forgo this ride and, instead, opted to see the sights of Cebu.

So after breakfast, some went to Cebu’s tourist spots and then we all met at the Ayala Mall for a look-see, had a few beers and lunch. Then it was back to the hotel for some more story-telling and rest.

Evening found us back to the Convention Center with the hope of winning a Vmax overcoming the dread of eating the same meal and drinking the same warm beers. Prior to the raffles, motorcycle-centric games (slowest ride, etc.) were played and some participants showed their breeding by crowding and standing in front of the audience, blocking everybody else’s view and preventing most from seeing what was happening.

Thankfully, they had the raffle rather early (the rumor was that they would conduct the raffle at 2 AM so people would stay late), because some people had to leave leaving early to catch some ferry. So around 9 PM, the raffles were conducted and, as expected, none of the Agilas won any of the prizes.

It was back to the hotel for this tired, old man while the rest of the Agilas had another wonderful and memorable night in Cebu.

National Convention Rides: Cebu 2010 March 5

2010-04-04T04:28:00.002+08:00

We were supposed to leave early in the morning, but it seems the boys had too much fun the previous night, that by the agreed upon jump off time (6:30 AM), most of the Agilas were still in Dreamland.

After the last of the Bacchus worshippers had finally awakened, had taken breakfast, and geared up, we were finally ready to depart for Dumaguete (thankfully late by just around 2 hours). Anton was joining us using brother Jerome’s bike; Ferdie had to work and begged off.

With Alvin leading us, we weaved through Cebu’s downtown traffic and until we alighted at the new Cebu South Coastal Highway, (the most picturesque part being the stretch where the road becomes a long bridge over the sea.) We went through cities and towns filled with motorcycles until the towns became farther apart, the traffic sparser, the roadside views more scenic and the curves tighter. We finally reached the southern tip of Cebu Island (Santander) and waited for the ferry to bring us to Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

At around 11:30 AM, we loaded the bikes to the ferry and enjoyed the scenery as the ferry sailed towards Negros Oriental, (except for Jochen and Roy who remained on the cargo bay, sweating in the noontime heat, holding on to their bikes as the way their sports bikes put down the side stands made it difficult properly secure the bikes.) Ferry sailing time was about 30 or so minutes.

The ferry arrived in Sibulan and we made our way towards Dumaguete (which was still around 18 kilometers away). We headed towards Dumaguete’s famed Rizal Boulevard where a line of hotels, bars and restaurants face the sea, had our pictures taken near Silliman University and then had lunch in a nice restaurant in the Boulevard.

With Bidul irritatingly and repeatedly reminding everybody of the time and that we had to be in Cebu before sundown, we gulped down our lunch and around 2 PM, looked with much difficulty for Dumaguete’s indistinguishable and pedestrian looking City Hall to have our pictures taken in the building's parking lot. (We hope the next time we would go to Dumaguete, the visit would be more leisurely and we would have the time to look at its interesting sites…)

A ride back to Sibulan to wait for the ferry, sailed to Cebu Island, with Jochen and Roy still holding on to their bikes in cargo bay, and we unloaded the bikes in Santander. We rode back to Cebu on the same route and the suggestion to stop once in a while to take pictures was not followed (so you will not see pictures of the beautiful scenery here.) Everybody belatedly realized not stopping to take pictures was a big mistake.

As we approached Cebu, our speed slowed down as the traffic became denser. We finally arrived in our hotel early in the evening, tired but happy to have done the 300 km (or so) round trip.

A few decided to call it a day; some of the Agilas went to the convention center to see and eat more of the same (the fireworks display was the main event of the evening, I was told). Still others went around Cebu City.

It was a nice ride on a nice day.

Sir Daniel posted pictures of the convention in his Facebook here.

National Convention Rides: Cebu 2010 March 4

2010-03-31T06:31:00.007+08:00

We woke up early in the morning as the ship was approaching the Cebu pier. The ship docked around 6 AM (and they quickly turned off the air conditioning the moment the ship docked) but we had to wait since the bikes were stowed at the rear of the cargo hold.

Forklift trucks inside the ship’s cargo hold would drop pallets containing cargo at the pier’s edge, where forklifts operating in the pier would pick them up and place them someplace in the pier where people would load them into waiting vehicles. We watched, almost mesmerized, at this ballet of forklifts, secretly hoping that some of the cargo would fall off. And a pallet of drinks did, filling the pathway with shards of broken glass, further prolonging the wait. Finally around 8:30 AM, the things fronting the bikes were cleared and we motored to the Diplomat Hotel at Ramos Street.

We dropped our things with the concierge (our rooms were available only after lunch) and went to Kan Irag to try their famous pochero. We then went to the convention site (the Cebu International Convention Center) to get our convention kits and waited for Ping and Ading to get registered for what seemed eternity (that is another story). We then went back to the hotel, finally got our rooms and took the much need rest and shower!

By early evening, we proceeded to the convention site (some by motorcycle, some by taxi). Also, by this time, Papa Gigi, Anton, (who flew in by plane) and Alvin (who had gone to Cebu the week before) had joined us. The grounds of the Cebu International Convention Center had booths of many motorcycle dealers and those selling parts, accessories, gear, and what have you. There were even sports cars on display.

Then we entered the area cordoned off for the activity. (I thought the night would be spent inside the air conditioned confines of the building but I was wrong; the festivities were going to be done in the parking lot where they had tents and tables set up setup some distance fronting a large stage.)

The first inkling that there was something wrong was when I saw a thousand people dressed in the same shirt. The organizers had given four t-shirts and gave instructions that this or that shirt should be worn this or that day. It was rather disconcerting to see people who claimed they were unique and special all looking alike. Good thing the Davao Agila Riders (and a few other clubs) wore our club vests so we were able to distinguish ourselves from the monochromatic hoard.

Then came the food. You gave your ID and the waitress came back with a disposable plate containing food that looks like it had been carefully measured, much like what you get when you get in a food queue. The food was bland and no different from food you get from a turo-turo. I do not recall anyone asking for second helpings; maybe the quantity was enough or maybe the food was just bad. The beer was draft and, and like the food, was carefully rationed, and was quickly gone. I was willing to give the organizers the benefit of the doubt – they didn’t want people to get intoxicated as to avoid accidents. Others were less kind in their assessment.

The band, playing on a stage some distance away and could not establish a connection with the audience and we left the eating area and spent time looking at the displays.

It was not yet nine in the evening when we left the venue and motored to a square in Mango Street. They had an open air setup with couple of bars and people milling around the “square”. The beers were not as cold or as cheap as at Bakbak’s but they were tolerable. After three beers, Sir Ping and I decided to go back to the hotel to call it a day.

I was told the boys had a fun night.

National Convention Rides: Cebu 2010 March 3

2010-03-30T03:45:00.005+08:00

Seven-thirty in the morning and Ping, Teddy, Bdul, Ferdie, Daniel, Jerome, Jochen, Roy, Ading, and Flor were at the Caltex Station in Bankal ready to begin our ride to Cagayan de Oro.

To see us off were Mercy, Yvette, Joy, Malou, JIng, Papa Gigi, Lanzi, Ronnie, and Ohmar (who again had to cancel because his children were showing symptoms of having contracted dengue fever).

A short prayer, some final instructions and off we rode, until we reached the Pheonix gas station in Buda where we had breakfast.

We had early Lunch at the usual place (forgot the name) in Valencia, Bukidnon where they were celebrating Earth Hour in advance.

The road going to Cagayan de Oro is much improved (though the road would unexpectedly become a single one lane road as work was still being done on the other lane).

We arrived in Cagayan around 1:30 Pm and stayed in Ferdie’s office. (More precisely outside Ferdie’s office for CDO was also celebrating an extended version of Earth hour the whole time we were there.)

We rode to the Cagayan pier around 4 pm, hanged around and when the Ok was given, loaded our bikes on the ship at around 5. We put our gear in the cramped double deck accommodations of the “Tourist Class” but there were no complaints. The Agilas were more than happy to finally escape the heat.

We had dinner of chicken, pork, and langonisa barbecue and puso rice in the ship's upper/open deck. No utensils were handed out and Jochen had a portent of things to come. The Agilas enjoyed a few cans of beer and met riders from other clubs.

We washed in a common toilet / bath and settled into our cramped double deck bunks and slept.

Charm

2010-02-20T21:34:00.000+08:00

There certainly is a special charm about old motorcycles.

Surigao Ride: Nov 21 2009

2009-11-28T12:50:00.008+08:00

-by Pres. John Ohman Penalosa

“Ride, even if others will not.”

Kuya “Weather-weather” Kim had declared on TV that rains were to be expected, and because of this unwelcome forecast, some riders texted me requesting that the ride be postponed to next week. But others were raring to go (as exemplified by Past Pres. Daniel who sent this text message to me early morning of November 21: “Rain or no rain, tuloy tayo…we are getting ready”.)

So Ping and Mercy Buenaventura, Daniel and Yvette Sunga, Roy and Joy Garcia, Jerome and Micmic Buenaventura, Ted and Jingjing Penaranda, Craig and Lolit Hardy, Ading David, our mechanic, and I met at McDonald’s Bajada, had breakfast, and around 8AM rode towards Surigao City, which is around 400km from Davao City. In full battle – and rain – gear (which was quite appropriate because it would rain the whole day), we rode until we refueled at Monkayo, Compostela Valley, then continued on to San Francisco, Agusan del Sur where we had lunch. Riding on, we refueled again in Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte, until we arrived in Surigao City around 4PM.

As usual, we proceeded towards the city’s wet market and in an adjacent restaurant ate to our hearts delight and loaded our famished bellies with succulent and mouth-watering seafood. Now un-famished, we then checked-in at the Tavern Hotel, had some fun at the bar before calling it a day.

The weather the next day was still the same as as the day before. We had breakfast and prepared for the ride back home. Due to some equipment problems, we were only able to leave at around 11AM. We made stops on the same places we stopped on Saturday but because the leak in Craig’s bike’s fuel tank had to be fixed, the stop at San Francisco was rather extended, to say the least. We finally arrived in Davao around 9PM – an hour ahead of schedule (maybe because we were riding fast daw siguro. Hehe).We went directly to the BakBak branch at the Pryce Tower area for dinner and some beers (victory party na daw).

It was indeed a very successful ride, filled with fun and laughter. Congratulations to the strong amd strong-willed riders and Libikers. The rains (and equipment troubles) failed to dampen their spirits but instead added the element that made the ride exciting and even more memorable. So let us raise our glasses to the Davao Agila Riders who will ride, even if other will not. Hehe.

Perspective

2009-11-26T13:36:00.000+08:00

Orange County Traffic Officers Association Annual Motor Rodeo 2009

2009-11-20T11:56:00.002+08:00

Biketoberfest 2009: Part 3 Fellowship

2009-11-15T02:54:00.011+08:00

The rains that came later in the evening were no match for the spirit of fun and rider camaraderie at 8610 Gitara Restaurant.

Riders from South Cotabato Riders Team (GenSan), Tachometrics, Socsargen Raiders Team (GenSan), Davao Mixed Moto Club, Motographics, Davao Scooters Club, Team Underground, XP Riders Team (GenSan), Davao City Motor Club, Inc., Explorider Motor Club, Road Runners Club, GRO (Davao), Team Most Wanted, Independence Riders Club, Team Ycompetence, On Any Sunday Riders, Suzuki Raiders Club, and Vman Racing thoroughly enjoyed the ledge dancing by girl dancers, the music of a live band, the presentation of club muses and selection of the best club muse. Lucky participant also won prizes during the raffles.

The organizers would like to thank the sponsors and donors who made the event possible.

To the Libikers (and the kids) who helped man the booths and the gate, the members of the Davao Scooter Club who acted as marshals during the motorcade (I still have to get the pictures) and all the clubs who participated, thank you for making Biketorberfest 2009 a success.

(More pictures, please....)

Biketoberfest 2009: Part 1 GMall

2009-11-13T15:23:00.016+08:00

The fun started in the morning of Oct 31 at parking level 3 of GMall with games (amazing race, relay, slow drag, tug-of war) participated in by various bike groups.

Ping, Roy and Bdul Birthday Party

2009-09-27T16:14:00.018+08:00

A little over a month ago, three terribly good-looking, superiorly intelligent, but genuinely humble members of the Davao Agila Riders celebrated their birthdays by jointly hosting a night of beer drinking and merrymaking at Sunburst Restaurant. The Agilas and their lovely wives came to wish the three hunks the best.

Thanks to Ma'am Mercy for the pictures...

Kadawayan 2009 Parade

2009-09-01T13:32:00.016+08:00

The Agilas overwhelmingly agreed to Ma’am Yvette’s suggestion that we get into the spirit of the Kadayawan Parade. So Sir Ping’s trike was mounted on Sir Dan’s trailer and the “float” was soon decked with flowers, fruits, and the obligatory stuffed eagle.

Team Underground

2009-08-01T21:52:00.008+08:00

What started out as pure fun for a small group of people with the same interest became a brotherhood that goes well beyond just riding motorcycles together.

Team Underground Bikers Club of Davao was founded on October 28, 2006 and is composed of 63 members who all share a passion for motorcycles. They share this passion with the community by engaging in various outreach activities and livelihood projects

The club also works hand in hand with other organizations and takes active part in activities concerning motorcycles in Davao City.

The organization aims to be of service to the community and is committed to fostering better rapport and enhancing camaraderie between motorcycle clubs in the city.

The officers of Club Underground are: Pres - John Jickain; Vice-Pres: Francis John Alivio; Secretary - Bong Mata; Treasurer - Dodong Tadle; Screening Committee Chairman - Bobby Dagondon; Asst. Secretary - Donald Badajos and PIO & Founder - Randy Nikolai Ilustre.

Even More Unity Ride Pictures

2009-07-27T15:58:00.017+08:00

(Click on a picture to englarge. )
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Pictures courtesy of Anthony Castillo. See previous post for contact info.

More Unity Ride Pictures

2009-07-25T11:44:00.021+08:00

(Click on a picture to englarge. )

Pictures courtesy of Anthony Castillo. See previous post for contact info.

Unity Ride Pictures

2009-07-23T13:06:00.003+08:00

(Download the panoramic picture (courtesy of photographer Anthony Castillo) on the right for best results.)

Tons of pictures of the Unity Ride. Get in touch with Anthony Castillo (TNT : 0909-6111118; SUN : 0922-4419222; email : toncastle2222@yahoo.com; web site: http://www.toncastillo.multiply.com/).

I will be posting more pictures later.

Unity Ride (Jul 12, 2009)

2009-07-22T12:31:00.024+08:00

With over eight hundred riders, it was a ride with biggest number of participants ever held in Mindanao. Riders from Davao City, augmented by riders from Panabo City and Gen. Santos City (and neighboring towns) all rode together in a round trip from Davao City to Malita Davao del Sur, around 125 kilometers away.

When it was initially conceived by the officers of the Davao Agila Riders, the Unity Ride was to be a short ride from Davao City to Buda to be participated in by a few motorcycle groups in Davao. But word got around and with a lot of motorcycle groups expressing interest in joining, the destination changed to Malita and the night just before the ride, nobody had any idea of how many were joining. We soon knew.

Early July 12 (Sunday morning), riders started congregating in the street beside SM and by 7:30 AM the whole place was a sea of motorcycles and their riders, backriders - and the proverbial kid squeezed in between (see fourth picture from the top) - in full battle gear . By 8:00 AM, a very short send-off program was held with the Hon. Mabel Acosta (who rode pillion on hubby Rey's trike) relaying a message from Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Soon afterwards, the riders started moving and the filled the highway out of Davao.

With the safety of the riders in mind, we rode in a relatively slow pace and passing was strongly discouraged. (A few pricks with low self-esteem, unfortunately, could not control their juvenile desire to show off.)

After negotiating the terrible stretch of roads in Sta.Cruz that was undergoing repairs, we reached the area near the mango plantation just outside of Digos city where all dismounted as we waited for the scooters and underbones to gas up (seems their tanks could not hold enough gas for the journey to Malita). The wait was rather long. I could imagine the two or three gas stations in Digos City being completely overwhelmed by the number of motorcycles queuing up for gas.

Gasoline tanks now loaded, we proceeded past the detour in Gihing until we reached the fork in the road the led to Malita. In the junction, we were simple taken by the sight of more than a hundred riders from the General Santos area. It seems that they had been waiting for us since around 8AM! There was another long break in the riding as we waited for the other groups to catch up.

Soon, the long parade started moving again and a careful ride through the twisty, picturesque, and very well paved road to Malita began. After an initial stretch of straights where we started twisting the throttles, the road changed to an un-ending series of tight turns that traversed (in my impression) two high altitude areas until one reaches the final, twisty descent to Malita proper.

We reached Malita town proper and were escorted by a group of riders from Malita for a few more kilometers to a beach resort where a parking area for the motorcycle had been set up. In a resort, a powerful public address system blared warm welcome to the riders. We arrived just before 11 AM. The Malita hosts could not hide their surprise (and possibly their apprehension) as wave after wave of riders arrived. It was past noon when the last of the stragglers finally arrived.

A program was started and was mercilessly prolonged by the usual crop of politicians speechifying, unmindful of the rising temperature. It was way past 1 PM when the program ended and it was time for those who did not bring their own baon to finally have lunch.

Lunch finished, we rode back to the town proper for a pit stop and while we waited for the Agilas, the other groups had parked their motorcycles by the side of the road, while a couple of riders showed-off their stunts.

The ride back to Davao then began, and since it was not organized as the ride from Davao, one did not have a choice but pass the relatively slower scooters and underbones.

Along the way, riders who were parked by the side of the road waved as we passed by. With this simple gesture, one could see the camaraderie that developed among the riders who participated in this Unity Ride.

For the Agilas, the ride home was relatively uneventful until a rider (not an Agila) was unable to stop his bike on time and hit two motorcycles in front of him which resulted in the two motorcycles (and their riders) hitting the pavement. Discussions (and gossip) were made and the ride to Davao continued.

We reached Davao late in the afternoon, proceeded to MTS for dinner and a few beers and reflected on the awesome display of motorcycles and riders getting together in such numbers for a day.

Congratulations to the organizers, especially to Ronnie, who made the ride a huge, huge success.

Thanks to Maam Mercy for the pictures. More pictures to come…

Clubs who joined the ride can email me (vulcandvo@gmail.com) their pictures of the ride so I can post them in this blog. Include in your email the complete club name, the list of your officers and, if possible, a short backgrounder of your group.

Motorbykle – Cynthia Alexander

2009-06-17T12:58:00.008+08:00

(I watched Cynthia perform at Kanto bar about 2 weekends ago. Dusted off her old CDs and rediscovered that she had a song (tenuously) related to riding. Obviously, the song is not about heavy metal thunder racing in the wind nor about firing all the guns at once and exploding into space. Nor does one think these thoughts while zipping at 100 kph. But alone in a bar at night, after riding on a Sunday all by your lonesome, well, one may get to rummage through the mind and think…)

we barely survive the abuses
we inflict upon ourselves
we never mean to be unkind
the colors leave us blind

well we get what we deserve
and we pay for what we get

here is the game and here is the cycle
while I ride my motorbykle
Ride

we brave the accusations
& stand on burning bridges
blame it all on weakness
& crucify our innocence

well we get what we deserve
& we pay for what we get

here is the game
and here is the cycle
while I ride my motorbykle

now we have come
to our hi-ways' end
run along now & carry on

& embrace the changes
sanctify this distance
we're certified experienced
to do it all again

but we get what we deserve
& we pay for what we get

here is the game and here is the cycle
while I ride my motorbykle
Ride

Brigada Eskwela Part 2

2009-06-10T21:51:00.010+08:00

During Sir Boy’s birthday celebration last May 30, word was received that ABS-CBN Davao was asking the club’s support in helping students of the Circiaco Mariano Elementary School. We were informed that most of the students of this school were children living around the vicinity of the old garbage dumpsite at the Diversion Road.

So at Sir Boy’s instigation, the hat was passed around, and the Agilas (and other guests at the party) were able to raise enough money to buy school supplies for one hundred pupils. Roy even solicited support from Agilas who were not present at the party and also did the leg work in purchasing the school materials.

The donation was made during the first day of school, June 1, and was aired on ABS-CBN’s morning program “Maayong Buntag, Mindanao.”

Agilas Join Philippine Eagle Week Motorcade

2009-06-10T21:31:00.002+08:00

It was only fitting that the Davao Agila Riders join the motorcade launching the Philippine Eagle Week last June 4, 2009. The motorcade was organized by the Philippine Eagle Foundation, the only action-oriented organization focused on saving the Philippine eagle and its habitat. In 1992, the Foundation successfully produced the first Philippine eagle hatched and bred in captivity. Since then, the foundation has been able to hatch and breed numerous eagles. It has also expanded its work to include restoring the natural habitats of the eagle in the Philippines.

The motorcade started at 8:00 AM in Magsaysay Park and ended at the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos.

Pictures please.

Brigada Eskwela

2009-06-08T17:43:00.027+08:00

The Davao Agila Riders joined the Honorable Councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta and her staff in a Brigada Eskwela activity last May 22, 2009 at the Gov. Duterte National High School in NHA Bankal.

Not only did the club contribute money to buy paint, hollow blocks and other materials, officers and members themselves helped paint the school buildings and build the school’s fence.

The Agilas see that being part of Brigada Eskwela is an expression of the club’s civic responsibilities.

The activity was covered by the Mindanao Daily Mirror.

Zest Air Sucks, Really Sucks

2009-06-08T16:19:00.005+08:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, the Agilas took the Zest Air early morning flight from Davao to Manila last May 8 en route to the National Motorcycle Clubs convention in Baguio.

The flight to Manila was pleasant and uneventful. The stewardesses were dressed more formally (and more attractively) than those of Cebu Pacific and I deplaned thinking that we were lucky - I had a good deal (we had availed of the promo prices) and that Zest Air was a decent airline.

Man, was I wrong.

The flight back to Davao was scheduled at 4 o’clock Tuesday morning. Most Agilas decided to drink and talk the night away; I had a much abbreviated night’s sleep. We left Ma’am Mercy’s house in Quezon City around 2 o’clock and, on two taxis, headed towards the old Domestic Terminal.

The security and check in queues were quite long, but I didn’t mind. Everybody was thinking of getting an hour and a half of sleep during the flight, having a tummy-filling breakfast in Davao then snoring the day away.

Around 3:45 AM, with no advice to board the aircraft given, I guessed that there was something wrong. Then word got around that the flight had been postponed to 5:00 o’clock. Ok, flights get delayed. No big deal.

After an hour, we were advised the flight was postponed to 6:00 o’clock. We should have been in Davao having breakfast during that time.

By 6:00 o’clock, we were told that the flight was to be postponed to 7:00 o’clock. Tempers were now starting to get frayed; there was no supervisor from Zest Air to officially tell us what the real score was, only an announcement from the public address system that the flight was delayed and they were still waiting for clearance from “maintenance”. By this time, those who haven’t slept tried sleeping on the chairs. I borrowed Sir Ping’s sleeping bag and slept in one corner of the waiting area.

By 7:00 o’clock, you guessed it, we were told that the flight would be postponed to 8:00 o’clock. I think around this time, we were asked to queue for mush they claimed was breakfast. I ate it simply because I was hungry. Still no ranking employee from Zest Air to explain the real reason why the flight was delayed and what they were doing about our plight.

Eight o’clock and were told (no surprise) that the flight would be delayed to 9:00 AM. We now learned the darned airline just had two large aircraft; the flight-worthy one had started ferrying passengers around 5:00 AM. We (and all the other flights that were to use this aircraft) had to wait. And for four hours we had waited for the plane to get fixed.

Remember during all time, it was a poor, harassed low-level employee in the Zest Air counter who had to face the ire of visibly disgruntled passengers. No higher-level officer showed up to explain the situation and to calm down the passengers.

Nine o’clock and word passed around that we would be flying on another airline. Five hours to decide that their plane was busted.

They jam-packed us to buses which headed towards Terminal 2. Well at least, we were moving. Bad jokes about going back to Davao on a bus. During the hot, 20 minute ride, somebody wondered aloud about our baggage.

When we reached Terminal 2, we knew. Our baggage was strewn all over the sidewalk! You had to search, look, and grab your baggage. There was nobody from Zest Air to assist the elderly who might have trouble getting the baggage. And nobody to stand over and watch over the baggage (the previous bus loads already had retrieved their baggage and were now near the entrance of Terminal 2 Building). And nobody and no system to check if the baggage you got was really yours.

Now we waited in the area just in front of the main entrance to the Terminal 2 Building. In around 20 minutes, two employees from Zest Air started shouting out names and handing tickets to passengers who were to take the Philippine Airlines flight to Davao. It now seems that not all passengers could be accommodated on this PAL flight. And, you guessed it, we lucky streak held.

So we dragged our baggage and boarded another bus bound for Terminal 3. Good thing, there were guys who helped us load our baggage to the bus because there were people now approaching the breaking point of their patience.

We were handed tickets and did not go through the normal boarding procedure of Cebu Pacific. We were told that somebody would carry and take care of our luggage. We were too tired to think and took their word of it. By this time, it was 12 noon, and we were hungry. We stopped by one of the stalls to buy some food but a Cebu Pacific employee told us to hurry, so we walked quickly to the boarding area and finally seated ourselves in the Cebu Pacific flight to Davao.

I think I slept for most part of the flight. We arrived in Davao at 2 o’clock in the afternoon tired, hungry and eight hours late.

Agilas Fly to MC Convention

2009-06-07T14:56:00.010+08:00

Dreading another awful encounter with the biker-unfriendly roads of Luzon, the Agilas decided early March to forgo riding to Baguio on motorcycles to attend the 15th Annual Convention of the National Federation of Motorcycle Clubs and, instead, take the plane to Manila and from there ride a van to Baguio - which was a good decision because the convention dates coincided with powerful typhoon Emong’s visit to the Philippines and Baguio ran smack on the typhoon’s path.

So, on May 8, 2009, the Agilas boarded the Zest Air’s morning flight from Davao to Manila, had a delicious lunch of hot goat viands in Quezon City (on the recommendation of Ferdie) and soon were off the road to Baguio in the dry comfort of two vans (thanks Sir Ping and Ma'am Mercy) while we saw groups of riders braving the intermittent rains that were still following typhoon Emong out of the country.

We stayed in an inn recommended by Sir Boy and looked forward to enjoying the Convention.

The Convention itself was good by Luzon standards. Aside from a small number of table placed in the center of the convention hall, everybody had to sit in chairs 20 or so deep, arranged on the three sides of the center area (where the tables were) and elevated like the ones in movie houses. So you had to hold the bad food they served on one hand while you tried to eat it (the same food they also mercifully supplied us the next evening.)

While proceedings were taking place inside the Convention Center, there was an area outside where booths were setup displaying and selling motorcycle merchandise. On the area’s front was a stage where a band comprised of lady singers in shorts played. Guess where the Agilas opted to spend their time?

The organizers produced a nice souvenir program, though.

The Agilas explored Baguio’s environs (which, it seemed, had deteriorated since my last visit about 15 years ago.) We had more fun drinking, eating and swapping made-up stories in our inn. Baguio’s cool weather, of course, made the drinking really enjoyable.

We left Baguio early Sunday morning for Manila and went directly to Antipolo for dinner at (forgot-his-name; muscular type with a Mickey Mouse tattoo on his arm) and had fun imbibing the beers and eating the delicious food prepared. Exhausted, we then settled in Maam Mercy’s house in Quezon City for the night.

The next day and night were spent exploring the fun things Quezon City had to offer.

Agilas Join Bloodletting Activity

2009-06-05T15:27:00.005+08:00

The Davao Agila Riders, together with various private and government organizations (special mention goes to members of the police and military) joined Councilor Mabel Acosta’s bloodletting activity last April 17, 2009 at the NCCC Mall in Matina.

The bloodletting is on its seventh year and is done during the anniversary of Councilor Acosta’s popular radio show “Mabel at Your Service”.

The very-well participated activity (there was a very long queue of blood donors that, I think, they ran out of collection bags) was made possible through the assistance of the Red Cross and nursing students from San Pedro College.

Congrats to Ma’am Mabel and Chief-of-Staff Yvette for organizing the activity.

Getting out of the Blogging Rut

2009-06-05T15:23:00.001+08:00

Since this homesick soul came back to Davao a little over two months ago, no new entries have been posted in this blog, creating the impression that nothing has been happening with the Davao Agila Riders since. Of course, that is obviously not true.

The culprit is this slob who has been remiss in his duties. The usual excuses are hereby being offered: too much alcohol, too much work, too many night outs, having no vigorous physical exertion resulting in a feeling of malaise. But the real reason is really one of sheer laziness.

But a polite nudge from Ma’am Mercy seems to be enough to shame this lazybones back to some semblance of activity.

Entries describing the major activities of the Agilas the past two months will be posted in a short, short while. Promise.

2009 Araw ng Dabaw Parade Pics

2009-03-22T08:34:00.010+08:00

Hey Babe!

2009-03-07T09:25:00.005+08:00

Even then, the man on the motorcycle already had a reputation, as this comics cover circa 1950's shows. (Click on the picture to read the balloons...)

Hell's Angels Legend Does Not Like Harleys

2009-02-28T06:53:00.007+08:00

My copy of the book “She’s a Bad Motorcycle: Writers on Riding” arrived the other day and was struck by what Sonny Barger, a founding member of the Oakland chapter of Hell’s Angels, said about Harley Davidson motorcycles.

First, Berger’s cred: Among other things, in 1988, Barger was sentenced for conspiring to blow up the clubhouse of a rival motorcycle club, the Outlaws in Louisville, Kentucky, and spent 4 years in federal prison in Arizona.

Oakland Hells Angels president Cisco Valderrama on Berger: If anybody deserves anything in this whole bike-riding world, it’s Sonny. He led the way. You see people wearing these fucking patches, “Ride to live, live to ride.” Yeah, right. As soon as the shit comes down, their bike is the first thing they sell. Sonny is the one who pushed the bike-riding lifestyle. There wasn’t an outlaw type of lifestyle as there is today until he created it.

Berger on Harley Davidson motorcycles: Hell's Angels started riding Harley-Davidsons mostly because, unlike today, they didn’t have much choice. In 1957, it was either ride a Harley or settle for a Triumph or BSA. They’d already stopped building Indians. It’s always been important for Hell’s Angels to ride American-made machines. In terms of pure workmanship, personally I don’t like Harleys. I ride them because I’m in the club, and that’s the image, but if I could I would seriously consider riding a Honda ST1100 or a BMW. We really missed the boat not switching over to the Japanese models when they began building bigger bikes. I’ll usually say, “Fuck Harley-Davidson. You can buy an ST1100 and the motherfucker will do 110 miles per hour right from the factory all day long.”

Noel Joins Agila

2009-02-23T02:12:00.008+08:00

After inducting the new officers of the Davao Agila Riders last Friday, it was P/Supt. Noel Fermin's turn to be inducted a member of the club.

With the strong endorsement of the entire membership, President Ohmar inducted Noel and led members in gulping down our traditional biker’s drink with him. P/Supt. Noel Fermin is the head of the PNP’s Traffic Group in Davao City.

Induction of Officers 2009

2009-02-21T03:30:00.019+08:00

Judging from the turnout of Agilas and their lovely wives during last Friday’s Induction of Officers, it is obvious that Ohmar and the newly-inducted officers have the full support the members. We are sure that the coming year will be one of the best yet for the Club.

Thanks to Jerome and Micmic for hosting the induction and party in their residence. By the way, Jerome and Micmic were recently blessed with a new and divine addition to their brood. No wonder grandparents Ping and Mercy have also been giddy the past few weeks.

Thanks to all who made the Induction of Officers a success. A special mention for Ronnie who ably emceed the evening’s proceedings.

Mabuhay to the New Officers!

2009-02-20T13:02:00.013+08:00

President Ohmar, VPs Roy and Ferdie , Secretary Jerome, Treasurer Jimmy, PRO Ronnie, and Auditor Fred formally took the mantle of leadership of the Davao Agila Riders last Friday, February 13, 2009.

In the evening’s program, Rey said the invocation, Anton led the singing of the National Anthem, and Past President Ping gave a rousing welcome to the Agilas, their partners, and guests.

Roy then introduced the Inducting Officer, P/Supt Noel Fermin who heads the city’s Traffic Group. P/Supt Fermin then proceeded to induct the officers.

After the induction and congratulations, Outgoing President Daniel gave his Valedictory then turned over the symbols of leadership of the Davao Agila Riders – a bolo and a whistle – to the new President.

Ohmar thanked the members for choosing him and promised to continue the traditions of the Agila, have more fun and even more rides.

More pictures of the induction in the next post.

Not the destination, not the ride, but the Rider

2009-02-18T05:01:00.005+08:00

President Daniel Sunga, in his valedictory last Friday, said it was not the destination, not the ride but the Rider that ultimately mattered. Daniel used this phrase to explain what makes the Davao Agila Riders special.

Yes, we enjoyed the places we went to and the rides going to these places, but what made these rides truly unforgettable and exceptionally fun were the Agilas (and their lovely wives) whom we rode with and who have become true friends in a relatively short span of time.

And the embodiment of this Rider who rode with us, but importantly, has been a true friend to all the Agilas the past two years, is Daniel himself.

Yes, it is true that with Dan at the helm of the club the past two years, the Davao Agila Riders have continued to “soar and glide, riding with pride”. He led the rides to the National Conventions (Tacloban and Cagayan de Oro), and throughout Mindanao. Not forgetting our obligations as citizens, Daniel initiated and organized the club’s outreach and civic activities.

Daniel also was instrumental in the fight to have ill-crafted LTO memorandum that adversely affected riders revoked. He sent materials to (and was quoted by) the local media explaining our side of the issue. He worked with other motorcycle clubs in the city who also followed his lead in organizing a motorcade / protest ride (in coordination with other riders in other place in the country) and in meeting with Mayor Duterte to explain why the LTO memorandum should be scrapped.

But more than all of that, that, President Daniel is a friend who made sure that the bonds between the Agilas grow even stronger. He was fair in dealing with all the members and listened to all who wanted to say something about our activities and things that affected the club. He was always fun to be with and saw to it that our rides and get-togethers were enjoyed by all.

For this, the Agilas are saying, “Congratulations and say thank you!” to Daniel.

P.S. I think we should also thank Ma’am Yvette for the full support she gave Daniel (and the club) the past years.

Uneasy Rider

2009-02-15T12:04:00.005+08:00

by Diane Wakoski

Falling in love with a mustache
is like saying
you can fall in love with
the way a man polishes his shoes
which,
of course,
is one of the things that turns on
my tuned-up engine

those trim buckled boots

(I feel like an advertisement
for men’s fashions
when I think of your ankles)

Yeats was hung up with a girl’s beautiful face

and I find myself

a bad moralist,

a failing aesthetician,

a sad poet,
wanting to touch your arms and feel the muscles
that make a man’s body have so much substance,
that makes a woman
lean and yearn in that direction
that makes her melt/ she is a rainy day
in your presence
the pool of wax under a burning candle
the foam from a waterfall

You are more beautiful than any Harley-Davidson
She is the rain,
waits in it for you,
finds blood spotting her legs
from the long ride.

Diane Wakoski, “Uneasy Rider” from The Motorcycle Betrayal Poems

Born Again Biker

2009-02-15T11:49:00.001+08:00

Born-Again Biker: A person that has decided to put his wife on the market and find a new bike.

Agilas Elect New Officers, Ohmar is President

2009-02-08T02:50:00.012+08:00

The General Membership of the Davao Agila Riders, last Thursday at Dad's Restaurant, elected a new set of officers to lead the club this year. John Ohmar Penalosa was chosen President. The other officers who were elected are: Roy – Vice President, Internal; Ferdie – Vice President for Operations; Jerome – Secretary; Jimmy – Treasurer; Ronnie – PRO; and Fred – Auditor.

The new officers are a mix of mature and young riders, members who have been with the club since its inception and those of joined the club fairly recently. But all expressed a keen desire to serve the club and continue the tradition of having as many fun rides as possible and maintaining and building the strong camaraderie between of all the members.

During the elections, IPP Ping served as the COMELEC and the wives reprised their roles as the ever watchful and vigilant (poll) watchers.

Good Luck and congratulations to the new officers.

Commendations are in order for the previous set of officers, ably led by Past President Daniel Sunga, who successfully steered the club and enhanced its stature, not just in the motorcycle community, but in the whole of Davao, the past two years.

Camiguin Ride (The complete story...)

2009-02-06T10:11:00.040+08:00

It is the time of the year when we do our annual pilgrimage to Bohol (where we accompany Kuya Mayong, whose ‘panata’ is to celebrate his birthday in his native land). But informed that the barge going to Jagna (which is near Mayong's birthplace) was broken and under repair (as can be expected in this glorious country), the Agilas decided to go to Camiguin instead, a place we enjoyed visiting a few years ago.

Early morning, February 29, Daniel and Yvette, Ping and Mercy, Roy and Joy, Alvin and Jessica, Craig and Lolit, Bob (Craig's Canadian best friend from Bohol), Butch , Anton, Ferdie, Mayong, Ading and Randy ( a guest rider who is also Canadian) met at McDonalds at Damosa Gateway and by 5:30 were off north towards Surigao. With the sky clear and the weather relatively cool, the jump off went without a hitch and soon the group was in Trento having a leisurely brunch. The motorcycles were refueled and the now completely rehabilitated and twisty road to Butuan beckoned. Time, like the road, quickly zipped by, and by 1:30PM, the group was in Surigao City.

A restful sleep and the next day (Friday) at 8:00 AM, the group took the road back to Butuan City and then the road to going to Cagayan de Oro. At a port in the town of Balingoan, Misamis Oriental, the bikes were loaded to a barge and after a one hour, the Agilas were in Camiguin Island. The group proceeded to Caves Dive Resort to check in. Some had the bikes checked; others had a couple of beers to go with the conversation, and, finally everybody settled down for the night.

Wake up call was early the next day (Saturday) as the couples (plus Anton and Ading) went to see White island, which is really a sandbar with an awesome view of Mt. Hibok-Hibok. The whole group then went a tour of the whole island (where, apparently, the helmet law is suspended) on motorcycles, going to the Hibok-hibok Volcano Observatory, then to the Katibawasan Falls. A refreshing dip at the Ardent Hot Springs resort and the group went back to the hotel to pack up. It was off to the port for the 2:45 pm barge trip back to Misamis Oriental where the group rode towards Cagayan de Oro City, arriving there around 5:30PM.

(Pictures in this post were all taken in Camiguin.)

After settling down at the hotel, the group went to OIC Restaurant where the Kagayanhon Kruzers treated the group for dinner and beers. The conversation, as expected between bikers, was lively, spirited (with spirits) and fun. Thanks, KK!

Jump off from Cagayan to Davao was 9:00 AM Sunday. It was a smaller group that was riding to Davao as Craig, Lolit and Bob decided to go to Dipolog City. Too, Randy wanted to stay in Cagayan for a few more days.

So from Cagayan de Oro, the ride continued to Bukidnon where the group had lunch at the usual place in Valencia. At the Overview (around 100kms from Davao), the group were met by Jerome, Ronnie, Efren, Tatay Gigi, Michael, and Jimmy. Coffee and extended conversations done, it was finally off to Davao. The rains finally came in Calinan (the whole trip was rain-free until then) but everybody arrived in Davao safely and in one piece.

The odometer of Roy’s bike recorded a total of 1,132 kilometers for the whole trip.

If this ride is a harbinger of the club’s rides for the year, expect more interesting and fun rides the coming days.

Camiguin Ride (Jan 29 - Feb 1, 2009)

2009-02-05T05:54:00.023+08:00

Pictures of the ride from Davao - Surigao - Camiguin - Cagayan de Oro - Davao. This first set of pictures covers the time starting at the jump off from Davao, the lunch in Trento, the ferry ride to Camiguin, the dinner in CDO and the ride back to Davao.

The pictures taken in Camiguin and a detailed write-up of the ride will be in a later post.

15th Annual Convention

2009-01-27T05:28:00.004+08:00

15th Annual Convention

National Federation of Motorcycle Clubs

May 8-10, 2009 - Baguio City, Philippines

Theme: ONE PHILIPPINES

Convention Program

Friday, 08 May 2009 Unity Ride for the Environment

This ride will attempt to set a world record of motorcycle riders and will take-off from manila and culminate in Clark Field, Pampanga. Sub 400cc bikes will be allowed into the expressways.

Saturday, 09 May 2009 Convention Proper

Convention activities at the Baguio Convention Center. Special Convention Prizes include: Largest Club Contingent, Farthest Distance Traveled, Oldest Rider, Most Vintage Bike, and Best Uniform. Special Events may include: Safety Riding sessions, Modifications and Bike Show, Fashion Shows, and other fun events for the enjoyment of convention delegates.

Saturday, 10 May 2009 Ambuklao Tree Planting

The culminating event of the convention is tree-planting activity to support the restoration of Ambuklao Dam.

The Host Clubs

Lawin Motorcycle Clubs

REYNALDO BERROYA- President

Vigan Heritage Motorcyle Clubs

BONITO SINGSON- President

Convention Website. (It could stand a little editing, though...)

Valley Golf expels De la Paz for causing brawl

2009-01-20T01:35:00.005+08:00

(Dated Jan 11, but learned of it just today. The bloggers I scan (and the chronic email forwarders) who were taken in by the daughter's version of the event did not do as a good job of updating me of this development as compared to when the story first broke out. Reprinting the news report in case you missed it, too...)

MANILA, Philippines - Valley Golf Course and Country Club officials on Sunday expelled Delfin de la Paz from its roster of members and suspended Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman Sr. in connection with their scuffle at the club's last month.

In a two-page resolution, the golf course’s board of directors sanctioned De la Paz for “disorderly behavior" when he instigated the brawl with Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr. of Masiu in Lanao del Sur, his brother Mohammed Hussein, and their bodyguards.

The Valley Golf officials "banned for life" nonmembers Nasser Jr. and Hussein for "unruly behavior" at the golf course. More.

High on the Hog

2009-01-20T01:21:00.001+08:00

by: Thomas M. Rickers

I’ll never forget my first time. It started out a little rough: herky-jerky stops and starts, flailing legs, panicky sweating and thoughts of God, I hope no one is watching this. But once I had nailed down the basics, once I was finally out there with the throttle open, leaning into the curves, it hit me: I was riding a motorcycle, my motorcycle. It was pure, childlike joy.

Read more.

Agila Pictures (Video Part 3)

2009-01-02T16:05:00.003+08:00

Gathered the pictures from the blog (and some), cropped them to the required size, powered up Windows Movie Maker -and after a few nights - a picture show.

I had planned to put "movies" at YouTube, but the audio was rejected because of "copyright infringments". (Terribly impressed with the pattern recognition software built into YouTube.) Explored changing the music to those allowed by YouTube but didn't like the choices and the procedure was simply too much of a hassle. Maybe, I can eventually find a way to post them in YouTube in the future.

Being able to do the movies should be enough proof that I have much too much idle time here. But to the chagrin of the Devil, I neither have the money nor the opportunity to do something stupid.

Agila Pictures (Video Part 2)

2009-01-02T15:52:00.002+08:00

Agila Pictures (Video Part 1)

2009-01-02T15:19:00.008+08:00

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T11:17:00.004+08:00

Even this self-proclaimed positivist did want to take his chances. What if it is really true that what one does the first day will determine what happens the rest of the year? So Jan 1, 2009, this fresh and cleanly shaven pagan had his pockets stuffed with coins, ate the noodles, took the KLR 650 (now sporting the required registration plates) out for a spin, and downed the obligatory bottle of beer with gusto.

Happy New Year, Agila Riders! In addition to Wealth and Health, may we have more fun and more rides this 2009.

Fil-Am Jazz Fest

2008-12-29T09:42:00.006+08:00

Like everybody else in the fully-packed venue, I had a good time at the 4th Annual Fil-Am Jazz Festival held at the Catalina Bar and Grill in Sunset Blvd., LA, last Saturday Dec 27.

Saxophonist Jon Iragon’s playing was simply breathtaking. Charmain Clamor certainly deserves all the good press given her. Mon David (now pronounced DAY-vid) and the other Fil-Am performers gave world class performances.

But did I hear Filipino Jazz last night? The jazz was excellent; the playing and the music superb, no doubt about it. (The lyrics became stilted and preachy at times, though.)

But even with the “jazzipino” label being bandied about, I still have to hear jazz where you can perceive and feel Filipino music and sensibility (not just playing known Filipino music in jazz or using Filipino lyrics). We still have are waiting for our Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and João Gilberto to create our jazz.

This inappropriately and scruffily dressed jazz fan, seated on the bar to the right of the stage, managed to consume 5 corona extras ($45 including tips). This on top of the $30 entrance ($5 service fee included) and a $15 Charmain Clamor CD, duly autographed. And for this unemployed, dollar to peso converting migrant, it was all worth it.

Charmain Clamor video on YouTube.

A Merry Xmas, At Last

2008-12-29T08:05:00.006+08:00

Two storms made a mess of the weather the weeks leading to Christmas, bringing the rains and the cold, and in a conspiracy with evil elves to fashion the Unhappiest Holidays ever, forced this rider to hunker down and sulk indoors for the longest time in memory.

So yesterday, when the clouds started retreating for the sun to reclaim the skies, no haste was wasted to feel the motor running, hit the roads once more, and marvel at the snow-capped mountains of Southern California.

Even with the mercury outdoors reading 13 degrees Celsius, it felt good again.

Born to be Wild

2008-12-21T10:42:00.000+08:00

Agila Xmas Party 2008

2008-12-18T05:11:00.013+08:00

With the formal acceptance of Boy, Chong, and Craig into the membership, and the presence of our lovely children (and wives), this year’s Christmas Party was arguably the best the Agilas ever had.

The Season’s spirit of joy and sharing was all too evident at the Buenaventura’s Residence at Juna Subdivision last December 13, where the Agila’s families partook in a delicious dinner, exchanged gifts, participated in games, sipped some cold San Miguels, and had some serious old-fashioned fun.

Thank you to the new members who help subsidize the party’s expenses and to Ping and Mercy Buenaventura for hosting us again.

(More pictures, please.)

Bikes at the Long Beach MC Show

2008-12-15T12:17:00.016+08:00

Agila Xmas Party on YM Webcam tomorrow

2008-12-13T03:41:00.001+08:00

Past and present Davao Agila members who will not be in Davao on Saturday, Dec 13, 2008 5PM (Davao Time) but would like to watch our Christmas Party and interact with other members, please get in touch with me (vulcandvo@gmail.com) so we can set up YM links between ourselves.

Cycle World Motorcycle Show – Long Beach

2008-12-11T08:32:00.008+08:00

It was biker overload last Sunday afternoon when I visited the Long Beach Leg of 28th Annual Cycle World International Motorcycle Show.

Unlike the California Motorcycle Week that catered primarily to Harley Davidson bikes, all the major motorcycle manufactures participated in this event.

Current and antique bikes, stock and custom, chopper, cruiser, standard, sport, sport touring, dirt, dual sport, for adults or kids, trikes and atvs – you name it, the bikes were in display.

Aside from bikes, gear (helmets, jackets, boots, etc.) were also displayed and for sale.

Karaoke Singers and Bloggers

2008-12-07T02:55:00.001+08:00

… Malaysia’s information minister, Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin, had issued a public put-down of karaoke singers by likening them to another group of social misfits: bloggers. Both groups, Mr. Zainuddin said, “take pleasure in their own singing but have no influence.”

From a New York Times article “Karaoke Killings”.

The J. Paul Getty Museum

2008-12-03T02:35:00.003+08:00

I had a wonderful time at the Getty Museum last Sunday. After being content with pictures and reproductions all these years, seeing the real paintings and sculptures was simply overwhelming.

Except for a parking fee of $10, the visit to the museum was free. We did not have enough time to savor all the exhibits, the garden and the view of LA (and because the daughter set her camera to the lowest resolution), so we are definitely coming back.

And in the spirit of the arts (and in crude attempt to inject a motorcycle twist to this entry), this incorrigible philistine could not help but share this picture of a famous lady in biker attire.

San Francisco Ride

2008-11-27T04:10:00.005+08:00

Craig, who is back enjoying Davao, emailed these pictures and ride info:

The ride was to San Francisco (Agusan del Sur) on the 16th of November. I think we were 12 bikes including Tong, from Cotobato, who decided to clean some gravel on the side of the road with his shouder!! He was wearing full leathers and only suffered a blow to his pride!! Thank God!! Really good day with no rain, the roads were good and the speed was fast. Ferdie needed a wheel bearing and Michael's bike burst a radiator hose. Both were fixed without too much delay. These picturess were taken by the airport.

Note: San Francisco (near 23 in the map) is at least 150 kilometers away from Davao. After Tagum, it becomes a twisty, interesting ride in the mountains.

Basic Rider Course

2008-11-21T09:58:00.007+08:00

Last Tuesday and Wednesday was spent attending the Basic Riding Course at the Honda Rider Education Center in Colton. Passing the course meant that I did not have to take the motorcycle skill test at the Department of Motor Vehicles. (Sample test here. I had earlier passed the written test for both cars and motorcycles.) I learned later that one gets a substantial discount on the insurance premium on a motorcycle after completing this course.

There were seven of us in the class. Most interesting was Dave, a 70 year old Vietnam vet (3 tours of duty, Silver Star, Bronze star) who rides a raked out, hard tail Harley. He has been riding for 30 years without a motorcycle license and only applied for a MC license after the insurance company threatened to terminate the insurance on his bikes. It seems, given the rake of his bike, that he could not successfully navigate the tight turn required in the DMV test even though we was a good and experienced rider. So he decided to attend this course. (After we finished the course, he invited me to drop by his 40 acre farm in Temecula. I hope I get a motorcycle real soon before it gets too cold to ride.)

In the classroom, we were given a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) manual and answered the questions on the back of the manual. We also watched videos that echoed the topics discussed in the manual.

After the pencil work, we were off to the back where a large cordoned area would serve as the practice area. (The school also has a course for those learning how to ride dirt.) For those who did not bring the required gear, the school provided ¾ face helmets and long sleeve shirts. (We were asked to wear shoes that covered the ankle and bring along full-fingered gloves.) For our rides, it was either a 230cc CRF or a 250cc Nighthawk. Under the watchful eyes of our teachers Jeff and Joel, we performed various exercises on the bikes. As everybody had experience riding bikes, most found the exercises were quite easy to perform, except for the slow double turn in a tight space.

All of us passed the written and practical exams. By the way, the course fee is $250.

Congrats to the 2008 Biketobeerfest Organizers

2008-11-19T11:22:00.005+08:00

They worked hard, putting in time, effort, money and imagination to make the 2008 Biketobeerfest a huge success. Congratulations to Jerome, Daniel, Roy, Ping, Ronnie and Ohmar (who is not in this picture because he had to leave early) for a job well done.

With these gentlemen bikers at the helm (complimented by the generous support of the Libikers), we are sure that next year’s Biketobeerfest will even be more exciting and impressive. Nice one, boys.

Biketobeerfest 2008: Good job!

2008-11-12T07:58:00.009+08:00

Congratulations and thank you to the people who made this year’s Biketobeerfest a roaring success. All members of the Davao Agila Riders were given a liter of motor oil courtesy of Pheonix Oils and were granted free entrance to the party. A cash donation was also given to the Philippine Eagle Foundation in the name of the club.

It seems, though, that some had less endurance compared to the others. Nevertheless, let us give a grand Mabuhay salute to the Biketobeerfest 2008 supporters and organizers!

Biketobeerfest 2008: The Party!

2008-11-11T03:48:00.009+08:00

The party started rolling in the evening and the whole night was all about drinking beer, having good fun, and reveling in the comradeship of fellow bikers. Yano and two other bands provided the rockin’ music. Bikers competed in friendly games. Prizes (50 cans of motor oil, umbrellas, bags, t-shirts, and a helmet) were raffled off to lucky bikers. PLDT Land Line Plus SIM cards were given free to the first 200 registrants. The biker groups had an unforgettable night and obviously did not regret joining Biketobeerfest 2008.

Now, did I miss out on anything else that evening?

Biketobeerfest 2008: The Games

2008-11-10T07:05:00.004+08:00

Slow drag! Tug-of-war! These were among the hot games held during Biketobeerfest 2008, not to mention Roy’s smokin’ tire burnin’ demonstration.

Biketobeerfest 2008: The Motorcade

2008-11-10T06:33:00.010+08:00

Biketobeerfest 2008, held last October 31, started off with a motorcade. Almost 300 riders traversed the city’s main streets to announce to all that there was going to be serious biker fun that day. The riders showed Dabawenyos that they were passionate about motorcycles, proud of their clubs, and were responsible and law-abiding citizens.

Rider Kenneth Lu's Affidavit-Complaint Against LTO Officials

2008-11-05T03:09:00.009+08:00

Please click on image to enlarge.

Rider Sues LTO Officials

2008-11-05T02:47:00.003+08:00

Motorcycle rider Kenneth Lu, aided by his lawyer Atty. David J. Sunga, filed charges against LTO Officials for abuse of authority and knowingly rendering an unjust resolution. The case arose from his apprehension last October 6, 2008 by a LTO Enforcer Charliemagne Manila, for allegedly sporting a cut muffler on his motorcycle. Mr. Lu immediately contested the apprehension as he insisted that his motorcycle’s muffler is not cut.

The LTO set the hearing on October 8, 2008 at the office of Mrs. Eleonor Calderon, Chief of Operations, as part of due process should one would contest apprehensions. Mrs. Calderon, after lengthy discussion during the hearing, said that she would base her decision whether to continue to charge Mr. Lu on a report by LTO technical people. The technical experts of LTO inspected Mr. Lu’s motorcycle at a LTO designated inspection area. The official findings of the technical experts were the following: 1. Muffler is not cut nor disconnected. 2. The muffler emits louder sound than the usual motorcycle.

The inspection report, duly signed by Mr. de Guzman, said it all and should have prompted Mrs. Calderon to drop the charges against Mr. Lu. But to Mr. Lu’s surprise, Mrs. Calderon unfairly recommended to sustain the charges against him, hence, the filing of a complaint in the Office of the Ombudsman for Mindanao.

The 2008 California Bike Week: Images

2008-11-04T07:49:00.014+08:00

This should be my last post on the 2008 CBW and I would like to share some of the things that caught my interest and my final impressions of the event. (Pictures described starting from the top:)

1. Tattoos were everywhere. The top picture shows a large one inked on the back of a balding, fiftyish rider. I wondered whether the tattoo was based on a picture of him on a chopper when he was younger and wore his hair long. The next picture shows that not only were the men into body encompassing tattoos, so were the women.

2. Motorcycling on style. While riders are often cast as modern day cowboys, rough, dirty, and travelling light from town to town, there are some who apparently like to travel first class. The third picture shows clean looking gentlemen giving an Ultra Classic Electra Glide, a top-of-the-line Harley Davidson Tourer, with its own trailer, a look-over. Given the Electra Glide’s already spacious luggage, you have to ask what the trailer is for. Tux for the rider and gowns and shoes for the lady back-rider? Or camping equipment?

3. Yes, there are clear advantages of peeing standing up, especially on the road. Among other things, it’s quicker, it’s easier to hide behind the trees, you do not have to worry about itchy grass scratching your bottom, and you do not have to sit on toilet bowls of questionable cleanliness . The fourth picture shows a stall selling a device so that our lady friends can do just that. A question, though. Will vigorously shaking that piece of plastic afterwards remove all the liquid so that it will not become smelly after use?

4. The next three pictures show scenes from the flat track racing that was the highlight of Saturday’s events. Featured were loud, 750cc machines running at more than 100 mph and riders sliding through corners. Sadly after a few races, the distance from the racetrack to where I sat diminished whatever excitement the races were generating. Or maybe it was because this was the first time I saw flat track racing. Hopefully, once I will get more familiar with the sport, its excitement level would also increases (much like my experience with F1 and MotoGP).

5. The last picture is one I took on the way home and shows the parking lot full of Harley Davidson motorcycles. The picture shows only about a fourth of the motorcycles parked; a camera with wide-angle lens would have captured the sight of a sea of motorcycles a lot better.

P.S. Bud light draft large cup at $ (add a $1 tip). I had four even though the sign said beers were limited to two cups per customer. Well, I was not riding a motorcycle. Bought $20 "remembrance" shirt that was a size smaller. Well...

The Agilas at ABS-CBN

2008-11-04T05:35:00.002+08:00

Last week, Oct 29, the Davao Agila Riders made an appearance during ABS-CBN's morning show to invite riders to Octobeerfest 2008 that was to be held the coming Friday, Oct 31.

Thanks, Ma'am Mercy, for the video.

The 2008 California Bike Week: Part 5

2008-11-02T11:39:00.005+08:00

Harley Davidson

Even though other bike manufacturers participated, the CBW was primarily a Harley Davidson event, the HD dealership in Glendale being the organizer and practically all (98 %?) of the attendees came on HD motorcycles. Harley Davidson had a large booth that featured, among other things, a stationary drag race. The best modified bike contest was also a Harley Davidson motorcycle affair. Too, most of the custom bikes on display used the HD engine in their models.

You could test ride the different Harley bikes, but since I was not qualified (no CA license) I did the next best thing – I sat on ALL the HD models on display that they placed in one long row. I would have loved to have my picture taken as I sat on each of the models, but since I went to the event by my lonesome, no pictures on the Harley’s for me this time. The best I could do was a picture of me with the HD bikes on display in the background (with the focus on the bikes, of course).

The 2008 California Bike Week: Part 4

2008-11-01T11:00:00.006+08:00

More Bikes!

Bikes that caught my fancy (starting from the top):

1. I do not know neither the make nor model, but this bike with a different steering arrangement was displayed in the Boss Hoss area.

2. Victory motorcycles. They run a lot a lot of ads claiming to be the new American motorcycle. Most of the models look like souped-up choppers but their touring models have a strange (or radical) look.

3. The BMW R 1200 GS. I wish I had the dollars. $14+ excluding taxes, registration and other fees. Costs more than a million point two depreciated pesos if bought from the BMW dealer in good ole Philippines.

4. The Patriot bike. Built for the US National Reserve by the Orange County Choppers. I saw this featured in the show “American Chopper” aired in the Philippines by National Geographic.

5. The Zero Electric bike. The manufacturer claims in can accelerate from 0 to 50 kph in 2 seconds.

The 2008 California Bike Week: Part 3

2008-10-31T12:36:00.007+08:00

Boss Hoss Motorcycles

As there were hundreds of Harley Davidson motorcycles (in the parking lot and displays) during the 2008 California Bike Week, it seems inevitable that I would quickly tire of looking at the HD’s and get attracted to motorcycles manufactured by other makers.

And because of their sheer size, no other motorcycle would grab your attention more than the Boss Hoss motorcycles, each weighing (dry) 1100 lbs. Sporting a liquid cooled v-8 engine, it generates 355 horses at 5250 rpm with a max torque 405 Ft.lbs at 3500, it sure is a wild beast to tame.

Free demo rides were available, but since I still don’t have a CA drivers/motorcycle license, I did not qualify. Sigh.

The 2008 California Bike Week: Part 2

2008-10-29T10:03:00.008+08:00

The Victor McLagen Motor Corps

It took more than hour of googling to find out the name of the group that did formation riding and other stunts during the 2008 California Bike Week. The only clue I had (discerned through a bad sound system and spoken by a lady with a distinctly American accent) was that “the group was founded in 1935” and “named after a famous movie star of the era.” Patiently following links provided by the search engine, I was finally able to find the group’s website (the key was to replace “stunt” with “drill” in the search phrase). It was only fitting that I identify the group correctly as they did a superb job in showing their bike handling skills and in delighting the audience. That a lot of them where on the “mature” side elicited even more praise from the audience.

Their website does a better and provides a complete description of the group. Watching them (twice) was definitely one of my personal highlights of the 2008 CA Bike Week.

The 2008 California Bike Week: Part 1

2008-10-28T11:02:00.014+08:00

The Stunt Acts

Three stunt acts were featured during the 2008 California Bike Week.

The first show starred a group of riders going around a cylindrically-shaped wooden structure. We’ve seen versions of this in carnivals in the Philippines (but done on a more flimsy-looking structure); a rider starts going around the cylinder, increases his speed until the force the wall makes against the motorcycle allows the rider to run practically parallel to the ground. Light motorcycles and a go-cart were used in the exhibition. A cigarette nonchalantly held between the fingers and letting go of the handlebars as they went around the cylinder, the riders were showered with dollar denominated tips by an appreciative audience when they finished their performance.

The second performance featured a group of riders going around inside a circular metal mesh ball without crashing on each other. The stunts featured a single rider, then two riders going around the ball. Later a person stood in the middle of the ball while two riders on motorcycles whizzed around him. Finally, the performance showed three motorcycles running like mad around and inside the ball. I’ve seen these stunts on TV but this was the first time to see the whole thing live. The stunts were was quite brief; apparently they were too intense and required a very high degree of concentration - something that was difficult to sustain for an extended period of time.

The last show featured a rider doing wheelies and endo’s. Making the bike turn while on a wheelie obviously was a very difficult thing to do (only a few people can do a simple wheelie) but maybecause stunts like these can be seen frequently on TV (and easily searched and viewed on YouTube), the audience acted quite blasé about the whole thing.

Davao – Surigao – CDO – Davao Ride Details

2008-10-28T09:13:00.008+08:00

For The Record:

October 17: Ping, Jerome, Roy, Anton, Ohmar, Jimmy, Chong, Ferdie, Ading and Daniel converged at William Limas’ Jetti Gas Station. But since, the station’s coffee shop was still closed, the group had their coffee at McDonalds located in DAMOSA. By 6:30 AM, all the riders were ready to go. First gas stop was in Monkayo (130 kms away) and it was off to San Francisco where they arrived at 10:30 AM for a late, late breakfast. After an hour, the riders were off again until they reached Cabadbaran were they had their final gas stop before reaching Surigao City. They arrived in Surigao at around 2:30 PM and went directly to the public market for a much anticipated lunch that consisted of all the different kinds of delicious seafood they could find - shrimp, crabs, squid, danggit, and imbao for soup.

The riders rested and then had dinner at Jollibee. The night’s Karaoke singing venue was the Coco Cabin.

October 18: At 8 AM, Daniel, Ohmar and Anton, together with members of the Butuan Riders, rode to Talisayan (about 100 Kms going to Cagayan) where they were to meet and have lunch with the Kagayanon Kruisers.

The rest of the group waited for Alfem, Dodong and Boy in Butuan, who were riding from Davao that day. When the group from Davao arrived, the Agilas then proceeded towards Cagayan de Oro and there they were met by Ketkai, who is the Kagayanon Kruisers VP, and who escorted the Agilas to their hotel.

Dinner was courtesy of Rey who treated the group at OIC Resto Bar.

October 19: The group left Cagayan de Oro for Davao at around 11:30. The ride back home was uneventful (except for a bike having some mechanical problems – sigh!). Problems were fixed and the group arrived in Davao early evening.

Total kilometers travelled: approx. 1,050. Congratulations, boys!