Bikes for the Philippines

Bikes for the Philippines provides bicycles to students as a tool to build self-esteem and help them attend and improve performance in school.

The BfP model differed from other BfW partners in that it was originally set up to loan bicycles to students, who earned the bikes upon graduation. Funding relied entirely on financial donations, no bikes were sold, and the repair and maintenance work was done by volunteers. No jobs were created and no revenue generated to buy replacement parts.

BfP worked closely with the schools applying for bicycles to ensure they had secure storage for the bikes and bike parking for the students. The schools identify the students most in need of bicycles based on their financial hardship and distance from school. BfP supplies the bikes, helmets, water bottles, maintenance training, and safety courses that include group rides- all free of charge.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, schools closed, public transportation ceased, and many individuals were confined to their homes. Essential workers were struggling to maintain their shifts under stressful conditions and complicated commutes. BfP was in position to redistribute their bikes away from students who were no longer commuting to school. Instead they ensured that teachers now had bikes as they switched to home visits to deliver work to students. They also worked with hospitals, the food service industry, and security departments who had workers still reporting to jobs during the health crisis.

As BfP shifted back to supporting schools and students after the pandemic, they worked to make the program more sustainable by adopting a model more in line with some of our other projects which support students in school. To help raise money to transport the bikes, pay for parts and labor, and support school visits, BfP now charges the schools a fee for the use of the bikes they deliver. The bikes are still free for students to use during the school year. If the program is no longer supported at the school, BfP removes the bikes and redistributes them to another school requesting assistance. This rebalancing of bikes keeps your donated bikes in action and helps students ease the burden of long commutes, gaining them time and energy to focus on their studies. 

BfW partnered with BfP when they formed in 2011 when we delivered the first container of bikes. We delivered container number six just after the pandemic to help BfP restart their paused Bikes for Education program.