Biking for Life with Cancer Warriors

Yesterday, I biked for 140 km in fog and rain across the mountains of Bukidnon to meet the "Cancer Warriors" who have been "Biking for Life" for the last two weeks. They left Manila last September 16 and they were now in Quezon, Bukidnon. The group composed of 9 riders is headed by James Auste, a cancer survivor. Among those in the group is Eric Reyes who has been afflicted by 3 kinds of cancer and who continues to survive with the inspiration of his girlfriend. There are also three fathers of children with cancer who in the group. In every city or town where they stayed for the night, they conducted a "Cancer Forum."

So today I accompanied them on the last leg of the journey to Davao. Before we started biking, they asked me to lead the prayer. So we pedaled along the scenic Bukidnon-Davao highway. The last 80 kilometers was mostly downhill. Fifty kilometers away from the city, we were met by over a hundred bikers from Davao. After eight hours of biking we reached the Davao Medical Center where we had late lunch followed by a "Cancer Forum".

I am looking forward to my own Bike-Tour for Life and Peace around the Philippines this summer - from March 24 to May 11, 2008. I plan to cover it in 49 days. I am already excited just thinking about it. It will be the ride of my life - biking for a cause, seeing most of the country, adventure, and setting a record (over 4,000 km on a bike around the Philippines). I will be biking alone most of the time without any support vehicle , but I will invite local cyclists to bike along with me for a few hours. In every parish where I will stay for the night, I will be preaching the Gospel of Life and Peace and I will invite the leaders of the Basic Ecclesial Communities and the Lay Organizations & Movements to attend the mass so that I can remind them of their responsibility to promote life and work for peace.