3-day Q2Q bike trip honors late president

MANILA, Philippines - A novel road trip kicks off a special three-day motorcycle event starting Sept. 11 to commemorate the 125th birthday of former President Quirino and the 44th founding anniversary of Quirino Province.

The event dubbed “Quirino to Quirino (Q2Q)” will feature a big group of motorcycle enthusiasts at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta and will travel a total of 350 kilometers all the way to Quirino Province, which hosts the annual Gov. Junie Cua Motocross Cup.

The three-day event was launched yesterday at the PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate with Cua and Cory Quirino, trustee and president of the Elpidio Quirino Foundation, leading the guests lists.

“This is going to be the beginning of a tradition in honor of a President who led us and gave us legacies to remember,” said Cua in honor of the late president, who rose from a humble barrio teacher to become the highest official of the land from 1948 to 1953.

The occasion is not only in celebration of President Quirino’s birthday, but also in remembering his ideals and principles, according to Cory Quirino, granddaughter of the late president known as the “Father of Minimum Wage Law.”

“Through this (motor bike ride), we want to deliver a message of statesmanship, that from a very humble barrio teacher, he rose to become the highest official of the land,” said Quirino, a popular television host who was also joined by Raymond Gabriel of Together We Ride and Toto Villanueva of Touratech in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.