As McDonald’s Philippines takes strides in building communities that share its commitment to caring for the environment, the QSR (quick service restaurant) giant held its biggest yet Tour de McDo in Iloilo City recently, drawing close to 400 cycling enthusiasts.
The program is part of the fast-food giant’s Green & Good initiative, which aims to implement sustainable solutions in its restaurants, and advocate for sustainable mobility.
“With the rise of cycling as both a means of transportation and recreation, our goal at McDonald’s was clear—be a place where cyclists can safely, and conveniently stop over for their favorite meals. More importantly, we recognize the positive impact of cycling both for the individual, and for the environment,” Adi Hernandez, McDonald’s Philippines assistant vice president for Corporate Relations and Impact, said in a statement. “With Tour de McDo, we are able to connect with different cycling communities, and together, advocate for more Filipinos to ride.”
Tour de McDo is a multi-stage biking event, in partnership with San Ride Bukas and Sikad Ta Iloilo, that kicked off at McDonald’s Iloilo Business Park in Megaworld Boulevard.
Cyclists pedaled through the city’s streets in two categories, the 15-kilometer route and a more challenging 30-kilometer course. It is the first Tour de McDo to be held in the Visayas and in the “bike capital” of the Philippines.
“We are thankful for the city’s support to the Tour De McDo and admire the example Iloilo City has set in being truly bike-friendly—it was great to see safe, bike-friendly roads (and routes) as well as public spaces for cyclists. We hope that this inspires more cities, and businesses across the country, to be more bike-friendly,” Hernandez said.
Tour de McDo encourages a sustainable active lifestyle with cycling routes that feature various McDonald’s Green & Good stores, that are equipped with bike-friendly solutions, such as a Bike & Dine facility, so that cyclists can dine without having to worry about their bikes and bike racks that are conveniently situated for bike parking. Select stores also include bike repair stations to allow cyclists to carry out basic repair and maintenance on their bikes.
Tour de McDo has already earned recognition in the advertising and marketing scene, both locally, winning at the Kidlat Awards, and internationally at Spikes Asia, Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards, and at the New York Festival, underscoring the initiative’s effectiveness in promoting sustainability and fostering community engagement.
In Feb. 2023, McDonald’s launched and held the first Tour de McDo ride in its fifth flagship Green and Good Store in Nuvali, Laguna, the fast-food’s 700th store in the country. The Tour that started in McDonald’s Nuvali ended in McDonald’s Tagaytay De Los Reyes.
The second Tour de McDo was held in June 2023, and attracted 100 participants in rides simultaneously held in Pampanga, Intramuros, and Tagaytay.
Cycling enthusiasts who missed the Tour de McDo in Iloilo are invited to explore various bike routes across the country featuring McDonald’s Green & Good stores as convenient pit stops. To discover bike-friendly McDonald’s locations in your area, visit https://mcdonalds.com.ph/press-center/ride-the-arches. ||
