Pedalling through Safety

By The Medical City (TMC), Ortigas | September 09, 2021

Bike owners are now more encouraged to use these as means of transport not just in going to The Medical City, but also in their other activities. There are numerous benefits of using an environment friendly transportation not just to one’s health but also to the community.

The busy streets of the Metro are now filled with the quietness of the city. What once buzzed so noisily can now be painted in a still picture, depicting the calmness of this city life.

The loud horns of the jeepneys, huge wheels of the buses, and roars of the motorcycles are nowhere to seen and heard when the enhanced community quarantine was first implemented in March of 2020.

Hard lockdown was in place and the strict force of the Philippine National Police was felt everywhere. Only front liners were allowed to pass through the checkpoints, because the threat and harm of the virus is still so strong.

When the pandemic wasn’t around yet, one would not witness human feet traversing through the streets of the city on their way to work. But because of the virus, people had no choice but to walk to their destinations as no available transportation is accessible.

Since 2019, members of the management dreamt to make the MATI Tower a green one. Although they knew that it would require work, it did not stop them from taking small steps to achieve it. Lights were changed to LED, adding greeneries around the building and installing light sensors to make the tower more environment friendly.

Progress is felt when biking spaces were added, enhancing the area to encourage more employees and patients to bike their way to TMC instead.

Employees, doctors, and patients are all encouraged to make a mindful choice just like the reminder that if they want to keep their heart healthy, they must take the stairs when going one or two floors down.

A portion of the Parking slots are now allocated for bicycle and scooter owners. From an initial 3 car slots that catered the bicycle and scooters, a total of 13 car slots were sacrificed so that more bikes and scooter may be accommodated. There is also a bicycle lane painted in green leading all the way up to the parking spaces.

To top this, a charging station is placed next to the bike repair station where riders may fix and inflate their tires. A brilliant and practical idea from the creators of this Bicycle Lane project. Mobility Awards recognized TMC for its bike-friendly workplace because of its recently improved bike parking facility. The institution received a gold award for this innovation and change, encouraging people to shift to cycling as a means of transport.

A working student from the Malabon University, artist Marvin Mendiola filled the walls of the parking lot with his smooth strokes of art. He was asked to paint “A Park in the City” which portrayed the Enterprise including TMC Ortigas, Guam, Pangasinan, Clark, and more.

Not only are there provisions for the bicycles, but the riders are greeted with a magnificent and peaceful mural of the city. The bright blue clouds are just over the walls buildings which are surrounded by a park filled with trees, bushes, plants, benches, and lamp posts.

It is a serene masterpiece that envelops the parked bicycles. One that will place a smile on the faces of the riders when they park at or leave the area. For only Php 10.00, the riders will enjoy a 24-hour parking stay, a convenient and super affordable price to pay.

“I believe that the morale and support of the management, together with the warm spirit brought by this project, will encourage more and more patients to visit The Medical City. Moreover, MATI and TMC’s set up of COVID safe areas for patients, strict protocols upon check-ups, excellent service from our personnel, and a nice area for them to park their bikes will encourage more patients to come to us.” testified by MATI Chief Operating Officer Dr. Michael Edmond S. Dazo.