In February 2016, Oscar Rivera, then a call-center agent, only wanted to share his camping adventures by posting photos and videos of his activities on social media.
Back then, he would pack a small tent, extra clothes, a portable burner, and a few kitchen utensils into his Honda Wave 125 before riding with his former schoolmates to their favorite campsites mostly in the towns of Lucban, Infanta, and Real in the Quezon province. Rivera is originally from Taytay, Rizal, so he is very familiar with the campsites in the area.
Awed by the beauty of the Sierra Madre mountains, he put up the Motocamping Philippines page on Facebook to be able to share with the rest of the world our country’s natural treasures. “Iilan lang ang nagpo-post nun,” recalls Rivera. “Hindi ko akalain dadami kami nang ganito.”
Fast-forward to 2021, and Motocamping Philippines now has almost 7,000 fans actively posting photos and videos of their camping exploits even at the height of the quarantine. It turns out many of them have discovered places to unwind that are not far from their residences. A good number of these moto-campers come from other regions, and are thus able to showcase newly discovered places. Also, they usually post their images at the start of the week after spending a weekend in remote areas.
“Nakaka-miss talaga,” says Rivera, who is now working for a logistics company in New Zealand. And definitely, he wants to come back and visit his favorite campsites when the situation permits.
Before Rivera left the country in May 2019, Motocamping Philippines had only around 2,000 followers. The FB page is such a big hit that even experts in different adventure-related fields—mountaineers, trail riders, photographers, vloggers, and even first-aid responders—have joined the community. Shah Cometa now serves as the group moderator while Rivera is abroad.
Each of them shares their expertise to help others join the bandwagon. The geist of the Motocamping Philippines community is about traveling light and living within a ‘budget meal’ to make the riders feel closer to nature. The simpler, the better.
Recently, Mark Salvador, an outdoor enthusiast who is also a first-aid instructor, relayed to Motocamping Philippines members some helpful tips on how to savor the beauty of the mountains or coastal areas without compromising their safety. He also discussed tips on survival and prepare your motorbike before going on an adventure.
Now, if you’re thinking of joining the group, here’s the number-one rule: ‘Leave no trace’ at the campsites.
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopBikes.ph. Minor edits have been made.
