After Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, a great dike was built along the Pasig-Potrero River to catch lahar and protect the City of San Fernando. It is named after former president Fidel V. Ramos. Riding it is a way to see, at bicycle speed, how the eruption reshaped Pampanga.
The ride
The dike is a U-shaped structure 56 km long, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and it links Clark, Angeles, San Fernando, Porac and Bacolor. Do not read that as a 56 km bike route. We could not confirm how much of it can be ridden today.
The one detailed account we found is a rider’s blog from 2011. That ride was about 34 km out and back, on concrete, with a steady rise toward Porac. If you start from Bacolor, expect the outward leg to be the slower one. The surface may have changed a good deal since then.
Because the present condition is not documented, we suggest wider tires: a gravel bike or a mountain bike.
Good to know
- Check locally before you go. Ask riders in Bacolor, Porac or Angeles which sections are open and rideable, and whether bicycles are welcome on them.
- The dry months, December to May, are the sensible time. That follows the national weather pattern and is not a report about the dike itself.
- Start early: a raised dike has no shade, and by mid-morning it is hot.
- Carry all the water you will need. Do not count on finding a store along the way.
- Ask about trucks and other traffic too, and ride in single file.
- Go with a companion on your first visit. It is a long, open stretch, and help may be far away.
While you are there
In Bacolor, San Guillermo Church is worth a stop. It was built in 1576 and half-buried by lahar in 1995. There is more about it in Pampanga for the visiting rider.