Ateneo BS ME Batch '77 donates bike racks to ASHS

Bicycle enthusiasts from Ateneo de Manila University’s BS Management Engineering Class of 1977 donated four pieces of four-loop inverted-u bicycle racks to the Ateneo de Manila Senior High School on the morning of 13 February 2023. The racks will be used by students of the ASHS’ Physical Education biking elective.

The racks were turned over to the ASHS and blessed during a simple ceremony held at what will eventually be the drop-off and pick-up point of the ASHS Formation and Learning Center (FLC).

Present were students, faculty, and administrators of the ASHS, including Noel Miranda (Principal), Jennifer Concepcion (Assistant Principal for Formation), Czel Lacson (Assistant Principal for Administration), Javy Fabello (Assistant Principal for Academics), Mike Borromeo (Subject Area Coordinator, Physical Education), Jok Cobar (faculty, Physical Education), Francis Mae Rebadomia (faculty, Physical Education), Julie Borja (faculty, Physical Education), and Jarrel Agcaoili (faculty, Physical Education). Batch 77 was represented by Robert Siy, Edmund Vergel de Dios, and Benel Lagua.

Batch 77 found out about the ASHS’ need for bicycle racks when the January 16 Facebook post of Mr. Agcaoili about the school’s pioneering PE biking elective went viral and was even picked up by Inquirer.net and the ABS-CBN teleradyo program, “On The Spot.”

Following the blessing of the bike racks by Fr. Carlo Lacang SJ, one of the representatives of Batch 1977, Mr. Robert Siy, was invited to speak on behalf of the donors.

In his brief message, Mr. Siy shared that his batchmates from BS ME Class ‘77 are biking advocates who had already been giving bicycles to disadvantaged sectors of Philippine society (e.g. farmers in Bohol and Cebu) to help them cope with rising fuel costs. When he and his batchmates heard about the ASHS’ biking elective, they were happy to donate the racks. “You guys are doing something that is innovative and inspiring,” he said, “and just telling people that you have a PE class in Ateneo on cycling that went viral… is inspiring many other schools and many other students to push for some similar activities in their own schools. Hopefully, that will also change mindsets at many different levels. Congratulations again to the Senior High School…and to our coaches here for launching this great program."