PAGBILAO BIKERS CLUB

PAGBILAO, QUEZON, PHILIPPINES

Welcome Visitor No.

Click the hyperlinked items within the text to see our stories:

We have been to various places far and near, up in the mountain or downhill to the plain. We are into physical fitness, sight-seeing and fun. Through this website, we will let our on-line friends know about our adventures. We will feature our funny, dangerous and noteworthy experiences.

"CATCH THE LATEST" > The story about my stolen Mountain Bike (read: The Bike Recovery, continuously updated as the case progresses)

We start our journey every Saturday and Sunday from the St.Catherine Church patio at 6:30 A.M.; See you there at 6:15 A.M.

For Pagbilawins on-line who cannot come home at the moment, you may express your desire to join us or wish us good luck by posting a message at ee_yano_yaan@yahoogroups.com (mail group members only), or you may contact Glenn Maningas or Gerry Lontok.

March 11, 2001, Sunday, Only four bikers joined the trip to Malinao, Atimonan via the Old Zigzag Road. While we were cruising back to Pagbilao. A JAM Bus was trying to overtake us with insufficient clearance. The bus was then moving very close to me in such a way that if lose my balance I would surely be hit by any part of the bus, worse be ran over by the rear tires. This prompted me to shout to warn the driver about the danger he is causing to us. But instead of moving the bus away, the driver arrogantly and intentionally turned the steering wheel hard right which made us look like wild animals scampering for safety toward to road shoulder. As the bus was pulling away, I grabbed my cellphone from my beltbag. Used the search function to go to "Pulis PQ" and pressed send. I informed the police station that the driver of JAM Bus number 7500 tried to kill us and requested that the bus be intercepted while we are on our way. I told the police that we are presently in Palsabangon and will be there at the police station shortly.

Upon reaching the Police Station, we found that the Police already booked the driver and just waited for us for the complaint. The driver was lucky that the traffic officer was not around so that a citation ticket may be issued. At first we was arrogant while being confronted. Then I hinted that I will just complain direct to the bus company management. The driver went quiet. Not wanting to hold the passengers any longer, we allowed the bus to go after telling the driver that his delay should have taught him a lesson.

In the next few days, we observed the buses from that company to be more polite on the road particularly when overtaking us.

Sometime in June, I posted a message about my stolen mountain bike. I asked for my efriends' prayer for its recovery. Well, the prayer worked, my missing bike has been found - after more than three months. I was no longer expecting that it will be recovered, I have bought a new one (with my family's financial assistance) in order to go on with my physical fitness program.

June 11, 2000, Sunday

At about 3:00 AM, I was awakened by the unusual barking of our dog. I peeped through the partly open window to check. I noticed that the dog is barking toward the left side of the house. I concluded that he is barking on the parked truck, so I went back to sleep.

Before sunrise, I got dressed in my cycling outfit and packed the chorale uniform in my backpack. The St. Catherine Chamber Chorale is going to perform in Padre Burgos and I intend to get there on bike ahead of the rest of the group. I was ready to go when I found that my mountain bike was no longer in the place where it used to be. There were three bikes in the yard which are locked together by a chain to the window grille. The chain lock was broken and the culprit left behind the two smaller bikes belonging to my wife and daughter. This time I realized the real reason for the dog's unusual barking last night.

I reported the matter at once to the Police authorities.

October 3, 2000 Tuesday. (almost four months later)

You may call it mere coincidence. A member of Pagbilao Bikers Club, Ding Franco, who was having breakfast at a restaurant near Pechak Cycle Center in Lucena City, was asked by the bike mechanic about a bike he was repairing. The mechanic suspected it to be my bike and Ding eventualy recognized it. The bike was familiar to the the shop personnel because it was bought there and frequently serviced in that shop. But Ding cannot proceed with a decisive action to hold it until he can also confirm with me. He learned that somebody brought and left the bike there for tire replacement. Ding smartly stenciled the serial number. Satisfied that the person who had the bike in possession can be possibly identified later, he relayed the information to another fellow biker, who telephoned my wife later.

October 4, 2000 Wednesday

My wife Baby called me and asked if I know the serial number of my missing bike. I told her that it is written somewhere behind the door of the store. She looked for it and I can hear her excitement when she found that the serial numbers match with those copied by Ding. Then, I told her to immediately go to the police.

After a while, I asked my wife to seek the help of another fellow biker, Police Officer Nilo Merto. I called the Pagbilao Police Station and learned that Nilo is off-duty. I relayed this to my wife and together with my brother-in-law Joseph, they drove to see Nilo at his residence at Intertown Subd. My wife brought her cellphone, which enabled me to directly talk with Nilo. They then went to the bike shop in Lucena, from where they gathered information about the person who had my bike. They eventually found the bike at Little Baguio, Red V, at the Dalahican Road and talked with a certain Mr. Clarite, the person who had it brought to the bike shop. It was learned that it was pawned to him for Php 1,000 by one of his workers. Possibly afraid of prosecution, Mr. Clarite, appeared to be cooperating and agreed to meet with them again the next day to confront his worker who pawned the bike to him. The bike has been returned by Mr. Clarite to his worker's house.

October 5, 2000 Thursday

Baby and Joseph drove back to Red V and met Carlito, the one who pawned the bike. He told that a certain Weslie, who apparently is the one who had stolen it, also pawned it to him. Weslie used to live at his relative's house in our neighborhood. Thus the bike has changed hands three times since.

Baby went back to the Pagbilao Police to seek advice. The police advised her to invite Carlito and bring the bike back to Pagbilao. Carlito will serve as witness and the police obtained his sworn statement. Now, my bike was recovered but has to stay in police custody as evidence.

October 7, 2000 Saturday

I went to Pagbilao Police to officially have my sworn statement taken which will be the Police's basis in filing the appropriate charges.

November 7, 2000 Tuesday

Exactly one month after I filed my complaint, the Preliminary Hearing of the case was held. The Municipal Trial Court judge listened to mine and my witness' testimony prior to issuing the warrant of arrest.

November 29, 2000

Judge Encomienda of Pagbilao Municipal Trial Court issued the Warrant of Arrest

*****************************

Please join me in thanksgiving to the people who helped and to God who arranged that "mere coincidence". Our intention is not to get even with the suspect but to prevent him from incurring further damage to the community.

We got the physical fitness test we wanted if the length of journey is the measurement of stamina. Many of the members are beginners/short route bikers, but the club took the longest  journey todate on Saturday, September 9.  At first, the plan was to go to Brgy. Ilasan in Tayabas only via Pagbilao-Tayabas Road.  But upon reaching Lakawan, it was decided to proceed to Mauban. The 26km Tayabas-Mainit-Mauban Road is under construction.   We got the thrill of real mountain biking when we had to go over muddy road.  Passengers of incoming buses shouted, telling us to go back.  They won't believe we can reach Mauban in that kind of road.  After logging 35 km, we reached Mauban.  Gerry went to find his colleague who lives there.  Teddy Manaog accompanied us to a nice restaurant (Pagoda sa Pilaway 042-7840601) serving fresh fish and other seafood.  We had a very hearty meal in a native hut built over a river. And the food is cheap, it costs less than Php700 for nine hungry bikers.  The restaurant owner regret that we did not order the "ginataang suso".  Well, Mauban is just 35 km away.

When we are about to start the journey home, it rained so hard.  Then we learned later that the road we originally took is now impassable.  We can bike on mud but we did not want to walk on mud.  So we decided to take the longer route via Mauban-Sampaloc-Lucban.  The 13km road to Sampaloc is made of base course waiting to be concreted.  It is saturated by rainwater, making pedaling on flat road so difficult.  After Sampaloc is more than 6km continuous uphill climb, partly concrete, partly gravel.  Then it is followed by rolling terrain with some part asphalt.  Lucban is 17km away from Sampaloc. At this point we logged a total of 65km We did a quick snack of litson-lugaw in front of the Munisipyo.  From Lucban, going downhill to Tayabas, Lucena and home to Pagbilao is appoximately 30km.  We logged a total of more than 95 kilometers (59 miles).  We realized that we can have more than that had it been flat roads. The nearest Shakey's is 60 km away in San Pablo.

(Note: a few weeks later, the group broke this record when they pedalled up to Caliraya and down to Lumban. This journey was broken further with trips to Padre Garcia Batangas and Marinduque)

Saturday Aug 26, 2000, Fourteen bikers took the Malicboy-Malinao Diversion Road. On this road, there is an area called "salulo" (because of the freely-flowing spring water tapped thru a split bamboo resembling a "salulo" or gutter). 

Coming from the mountain, the road is a long straight downhill, then a sharp right curve followed by another sharp left curve. This reverse curve condition makes the area accident-prone. Wayward trucks experience most accidents when drivers are unable to control speed along the long downhill preceding this curve. On the right shoulder of this left turning curve is the favorite settling point for those trucks. Settling or stopping happens only when the truck finally stops after turning to its side or bulldozing the hillside. The road shoulder in this area is filled with broken bottles from previous accidents.

One of our bikers, Eugene <Eugene.Espinosa@mirant.com> did an emergency action of veering to the shoulder to avoid an upcoming truck who occupied the downhill lane. It was too late for Eugene to see that the road shoulder is paved with materials not complying with DPWH specifications. Eugene crashed over the broken bottles. He suffered a cut below the left knee, another near the right elbow and in several other locations in his body. The "salulo" across the road was very useful in the first-aid treatment. The flowing water was used to flush out embedded broken bottles. A local resident lent a bottle of merthiolate. A towel was used to cover his wounded knee and bleeding was controlled. Another biker, Nannie, went further downhill to buy gauze, tape and cotton; and climbed back again.

At this moment, there are two more bikers, Kuya Willy and Jun, who has not reached the area of the accident. We thought that it would be easier for Eugene to get a ride to the hospital if we will go down the mountain. Eugene can still walk, so he can still go downhill on his bike. Down the mountain in Malinao, we hailed a bus and Eugene boarded with his bike to go to Jane County Hospital in Pagbilao.

Minutes passed, we are still waiting for the two bikers to come down from the mountain. We thought of inquiring from passing vehicles if they have seen the two. Just as we are about to hail an incoming jeepney, we were surprised to see the two bikers on board. We learned that Jun had a mishap in the same area as Eugene's. The jeepney they used as ambulance was actually going uphill but they asked the driver to turn back after the residents told them that there is an earlier casualty who went down to Malinao. Ismael, Jun's cousin also boarded the jeepney and they speed off to bring Jun to the hospital. This left only ten bikers to continue the journey thru the old zigzag road.

We later went with our bikes to see Eugene in the hospital. When we arrived, we was already treated and saw him discharged. Eugene told us that Jun was brought to Lucena and we learned later that he suffered a dislocated shoulder. He was made to wear a harness to correct the problem. Similarly, he was also discharged from the hospital. 

The two has not biked in that road before. That could be a contributing factor why they miscalculated. Let us pray for their quick recovery. 

Saturday, August 19 (fiesta), while cruising in Lucban , the Pagbilao Bikers found a man's wallet on the pavement. When we reached the house that we are going to attack for the fiesta, we telephoned the number found in a raffle ticket from the wallet. We can imagine the loser's wife jumping for joy when informed of what we found. Apparently, she did not even know her husband's wallet was missing. After informing her where they can find us, the owner himself showed up within an hour and recovered his missing item. So, he has been driving around without a license for almost an hour. What a lucky guy - and the raffle ticket may still win.

Copyright: Gerry Lontok