MANILA, Philippines – With rising fuel prices, some motorists are opting to ditch their cars and use more active and public transport options.

Toix Cerna, 48, a development worker based in Quezon City, said that recently, she has been making a more conscious decision to bike to meetings, run errands, and take short trips.

“Itong mga panahon na to mas nagiging more conscious ako about using the bike,” Cerna told Rappler. (These days I am more conscious about using the bike.)

Cerna is a mobility advocate herself. She owns a car and admits that sometimes it is much easier to just drive. Gas prices used to be negligible, she said, but the massive surge in fuel prices has made the cost more obvious.

Oil prices continue to soar following the US-Israel attack in Iran that led to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the global oil trade. As a result, fuel prices rose. In the Philippines, consumers are hit by double-digit increases.

Jhawn Gabrielle Martinez, 30, is planning to start biking to work. Martinez works at the Malabon City Hall, only eight kilometers away from his house. He mainly uses his motorcycle to work, but with the rising prices, he has reached out to a friend to borrow a bicycle.

Martinez expressed apprehension about the prospect of bike commuting for the first time, but he said he wants to try to boost his metabolism and cut back on gas consumption.

“Siyempre bina-budget rin po ang gas, food allowance, pang-emergency,” Martinez said. (Of course, I have to budget for gas, food allowance, and emergency situations.)

Surge in prices, surge in cyclists?

Civil society network Move as One Coalition is expecting a surge in bike commuters given the current situation.

“Many Filipinos of all ages and abilities are expected to shift from driving cars to riding bicycles to cope with runaway fuel prices,” the coalition said in a statement Wednesday, March 18.

The coalition is pushing the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to use accurate data on the number of cyclists plying Metro Manila roads daily.

“While MMDA claims only 1,700 cyclists use EDSA in an entire 24-hour day, the more comprehensive bike count recorded over 7,000 cyclists in a four-hour window,” the statement read.

According to the coalition, such usage can guide policy-makers, keep cyclists safe, and “fulfill the declaration” in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 that pedestrians and cyclists should have the highest priority as road users.

The surge in bike commuting in recent past was brought about by another crisis – the COVID-19 pandemic. Many frontliners and medical workers used bikes to go to work as movement was heavily restricted. Local governments installed pop-up bike lanes during this period – many of which are now gone or neglected, advocates have observed.

Recently, Marikina launched a “biking challenge” to encourage city hall employees to bike to work. The department in city hall with the most employees who bike to work will be awarded, according to a release from the local government.

Marikina Mayor Maan Teodoro said they are making sure end-of-trip facilities are fully functional and that more bike racks are deployed near schools. Marikina is considered a pioneer in bike infrastructure, building a network of bike lanes way before the surge of cyclists during the pandemic in 2020.

Cost of car use

Daphne Marcelo, 35, started driving less in January 2026 after she reviewed the budget their household allots for transport. The expense had made it harder “to justify car use.”

“What stood out to me was how much our fuel expenses had increased,” Marcelo told Rappler. “It was significantly higher than I expected.”

On top of the cost, Marcelo said, a primary concern was safety. Her work as a lawyer in road traffic injury prevention has shaped her perspective on mobility. What she found was that road systems “haven’t kept pace” in ensuring that all road users are safe.

Nowadays, Marcelo primarily rides jeepneys and the UV Express, especially for short trips.

“I made a conscious commitment to explore more sustainable and practical transport options,” she said. In doing so, she said she has become “more intentional and deliberate” in her trips and car use. – Rappler.com