Almost 400 peace bikers, composed of bikers associations, the security sector, members of the Moro fronts, accompanied the arrival of Peace Buzz here on Saturday.
The Peace Buzz made its seventh stop out of a total of nine stops, crisscrossing the country to promote and build a culture of peace.
The bikers rode along with the Peace Buzz in the 45-kilometer stretch from the town of Midsayap in North Cotabato province to Cotabato.
In a short program at the City Hall or People’s Palace, Assistant Secretary Dickson Hermoso of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) emphasized the needed healing process brought about by the armed conflict.
He said OPAPP has been leading the government’s peace advocacy not only to reach political settlements between the government and the rebel groups but also to promote a culture of peace.
“What I saw earlier was unity for peace,” he said referring to the large numbers of bikers who joined the bike for peace dubbed as “Kariling sa Kalinaw.”
Hermoso said OPAPP is in the process of getting all sectors to pursue the peace agenda of the Duterte administration.
Rodolfo Palo, 51, an employee of the city government and a member of the Cotabato City Government Employees Bikers Association, said he was overwhelmed as it was his first time to complete a 48-kilometer ride.
“It was tiring but with the help of other bikers, I was able to overcome the challenges,” he said.
Palo noted that he was glad to see some members of the Moro fronts joining the event.
In behalf of City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, secretary to the Mayor Anaceto Rasalan said “development is anchored on the existence of peace.”
