The 2025 edition of Bilang Siklista, the country’s largest citizen-led bicycle count, recorded 218,866 people on bicycles across 15 cities nationwide, the Mobility Awards convenors announced in a webinar yesterday. The counts were held from July to September 2025 at 180 locations across the country during four-hour peak commuting periods, engaging 688 citizen volunteers.
This year marked several milestones in the institutionalisation of bike counts: New partner cities Bacolod and Tagbilaran conducted their first-ever bike counts fully led by its city planning offices, while 15 recurring LGUs from previous iterations of Bilang Siklista organised its own volunteer training, building internal capacity and embedding bike counts as part of its annual practice. Select cities piloted digital counts using the Counterpoint app, testing available digital tools to improve accuracy and efficiency.
“It is remarkable to see that cities are counting people who are moving through bicycles, and not just motorised vehicles, and citizen-volunteers show up despite poor weather conditions. It shows acts of collaborative leadership and cooperation amongst cities and citizens towards making our streets safer, especially for those who have less on wheels”, said Celine Tabinga, national coordinator of Mobility Awards.
Metro Manila recorded the highest cyclist volumes nationwide, led by Quezon City, which recorded a daily average of 19,232 cyclists across seven count days, followed by Taguig (16,607), Mandaluyong (14,354), Marikina (11,363), and Pasig (10,410). In the Visayas, Mandaue led with 6,753 cyclists, followed by Iloilo City with 4,716. In Mindanao, Davao City recorded the highest volume with 3,506 cyclists.
“These high volumes reflect not only the sustained bike-commuter demand but also the results of proactive city investments in safer, more extensive, and better-connected cycling networks,” Tabinga added.
“The 218,000 people-on-bicycles counted represent only a fraction of people moved by bicycles, many of whom remain exposed to unsafe road conditions. Continued investment and urgent action are needed to protect people who rely daily on their bicycles, especially persons with disabilities, women, the elderly, and children who can move around safely and comfortably. This is our timely call as we will observe the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport starting next year. Governments, private sector need to prioritise movement of people that is safe, affordable and interconnected.” said Aldrin Pelicano of MNL Moves.
Despite these achievements, the 2025 data highlights persistent challenges. Only 2.75 per cent of observed cyclists were women, a further decline from previous years. In contrast, cities such as Tagbilaran (32 per cent), Danao (29 per cent), and Naga (16 per cent) reported higher female participation. In the case of Naga and Danao, the higher shares were partly due to the inclusion of pedicab passengers counted alongside cyclists.
National trends also point to significant shifts in cycling activity. Across comparable count sites, cyclist numbers decreased by an average of 26 per cent, with the steepest declines recorded in the Visayas (-30.61 per cent) and Luzon (-28.16 per cent). Despite the drop, Mandaue City (6,753) and Iloilo City (4,716) remained among the busiest sites in the country. The decline in volumes coincided with periods of heavy rainfall in Baguio, Naga, Quezon City, and Iloilo, illustrating how weather disruptions affect the count.
Temporary roadworks and uneven volunteer coverage may also have affected counts, underscoring the need for robust, all-weather infrastructure and more systematic data-collection practices. The sharper reductions in the Visayas and Luzon highlight potential vulnerabilities related to weather exposure, infrastructure gaps, and uneven policy support, while Mindanao’s smaller decline (-6.62 per cent) might suggest different commuting patterns.
“As we observe the Philippines’ Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week, the 218, 000 people who moved around cities using low-carbon transport like bicycles are an everyday reminder of what hardworking Filipinos can do to help clean our air, and act against the growing greenhouse gas emissions coming from tailpipes of motorised vehicles”, said Aimee Oliveros, Interim Branch Manager of The Climate Reality Project Philippines. “The least that we can do is to ensure that our roads are safe and inclusive for them.”
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) also expressed its support for Bilang Siklista, stating that the bicycle count reports can support the Department’s efforts in promoting active mobility. “While there was an observed decline from last year’s count, we see it as a challenge to build more cycling infrastructure that is safe, reliable, and comfortable. This initiative will definitely help the government in prioritising areas of development, and it is always an honour for us to collaborate with our NGO and civil society partners in advancing our shared cause,” said Arch. Alvin John Pajo, Lead Planning Officer of the DOTr’s Active Transport Office.
To read the full report, visit https://www.mobilityawards.org/news/bilang-siklista-2025/.
The Bilang Siklista Bicycle Count is an annual nationwide initiative that documents the growing number and diversity of people cycling in Philippine cities. First launched in 2021, it has since become the largest citizen-led bike count effort in the country, engaging over 2,000 volunteers and 18 local government partners across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
It is organised by the Mobility Awards convenors: Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), The Climate Reality Project Philippines, 350 Pilipinas, MNL Moves, and Pinay Bike Commuter Community.
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