Ride for the Philippines!

Hello Friends, Family, and Supporters,

I am fundraising to support the work of the Foundation for Philippine Progress, Inc. (FPP). It is a 501-C3 non profit organization based in Portland, OR with an optimistic vision of “A Full Life for Every Filipino.” I have been volunteering for the organization with Kuya Roger Rigor since it’s official founding in 2018, but have been helping with relief efforts (alongside my two children) since 2013, in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).

This July 15th, in the wake of the ten year anniversary of that storm, Kuya Roger and I will “Ride for the Philippines” by biking 206 miles from Seattle to Portland to raise more awareness about the FPP’s work, and hopefully generate 10-20k of material support for the most impacted areas in the Philippines. Your donation will go towards providing health care, fishing boats, food security, and many future relief missions that our trusted partners undertake. The Philippines continues to be among the top countries most vulnerable to climate change.

But in the face of suffering, we have witnessed the resiliency of those who continue to survive and shape their communities. Despite their limited resources, we are inspired by pastors, farmers, volunteers, and even children who give their time and labor to rebuild through the devastation. We hope you will help us reach our combined goal. At the very least, we hope you decide to follow us on social media (@philippineprogress on Instagram).

If you are open to making a contribution, we have forty plus riders (from St. Peter's Bicycle Club, Gruppetto Cycling Club, LAFBL Bicycle Club, and a handful of individual cyclists) who will help us bike 1 mile for every dollar donated. We also have an anonymous backer that will match up to 5K of what we are able to raise. 3k will get us a boat, but even 3 dollars will go a long way and provide something meaningful. Thank you for your consideration, especially to those of you who have contributed so far.

I am dedicating this “Ride for the Philippines” to my Uncle Joey Antonio and cousin Erwin “Chong” Mensalvas. The memory of them continues to give me strength.