Motorbike Riders Take Manilla by Storm
On Sunday, March 24, a sea of more than 10,000 motorcycles rolled through Manila’s main arteries, shouting a clear message: the new “big‑plate” law is a flop.
Why the Bikers Are Up in Arms
- Visibility Won’t Cut Crime – Bikers say the idea that bigger plates will make crimes easier to catch is nail‑biter nonsense. Criminals almost never use their own bikes.
- Rampant Road Sierras – With traffic jammed tighter than a Manila subway, people are sliding onto two‑wheelers for quick get‑aways. That fuels a surge in bike‑related robberies, murders, and other offenses.
- Extra U-Haul Plates – The law mandates large front and rear plates that can be read from 15 m away and are color‑coded across 17 regional zones. But official plates are currently only at the back.
Protest Highlights
Joseph De Los Reyes, one of the on‑road demonstrators, racked up the old school handkerchief‑style sign with a punchy rally cry:
“This is not a solution for crime because a criminal will not use his own motorcycle. That’s why the riding community must fight the double plate bill.”
President Rodrigo Duterte signed the directive earlier this month, but the biker brigade refuses to roll over.
Bottom Line
In short: bigger plates, bigger hopes… Spam‑slow because the roads and the heart of Manila’re already a wild ride. The protest proves that when folks get their kicks on two wheels, they’re not willing to surrender to red‑hatted metal signage.
