Ship Designers by job, Joy Riders by Passion
by: Vance S. Madelo
Getting up shortly after sunrise on Mondays, Eddie puts on his accessories after a quick bath to start his long motorcycle ride from Cebu City to Balamban via the Transcentral Highways. He doesn’t take the company bus rides because he has good reasons not to, and so for some of his buddies who live in Balamban and neighboring provinces. Practicality aside, they simply love to ride.
These guys work as Ship Design Staffs of Tsuneishi Technical Services (Phil.) Inc. (TTSP) by week days. They get in and out of the workplace vicinity by riding their motorcycles along with hundreds, if not, thousands of other riders employed by companies inside the West Cebu Industrial Park (WCIP) special economic zone. 
On weekends, holidays or even after office hours Eddie’s group would go on a joy ride as planned or as agreed simply by impulse when weather permits. “It’s just one of the few ways we relieve ourselves from the demands of technical detail designing and it also serves to help me beat homesickness for being away from home”, says Joren, one of his ride buddies. “I have been used to living in the bustle of city life for years. Staying to work in Balamban provides me the opportunity to appreciate the beauties of natural environment in the province. The breathtaking views from atop the mountain ranges of Balamban give me different kind of peace and awe”, added Rods, another one of the riders of the group.
Each of them has his own good reason to get on their bike every once in a while for a long journey just about anywhere in the province, and that reason has created their passion – the passion to afford them a much needed work-life balance. Thus, on a good, long weekend or holiday ride, they would usually come back mentally re-charged for work at the start of the week. Repeat.
I am actually from Alcoy, a 2-3 hour drive to Balamban. I usually stop to take a photo of a picturesque scenery to show to friends and my girlfriend, sometimes proudly inviting them to come to the place. I find riding my motorcycle an exhilarating experience every time I clutch the throttle. - Jonathan (Machinery Outfitting Design Group)
A quick souvenir pose while resting on a natural cushion offered by the grass. It was such a sigh of relief after a long day's ride up one of the mountain ranges of Balamban - a reward for the courage to overcome treacherous road curves and steep ascents and descents which themselves are adventures in a sense.
In one of the stops, we took off some of our protective wears to just feel the chilly wind and atmosphere of the mountain range. There's nothing as invigorating as breathing deep the fresh aroma that emanates from the surrounding green vegetation. The experience clears the mind and soothes the soul.
We could never pass up another opportunity to immerse ourselves with the thrill of just stopping by to stand up, look far and be amazed at the spectacle of land, sea, sky, flora and distant structures of civilization within a blink from our vantage point.
When the weather is good and the holidays are long we usually convene for a ride from day to night. It never wearies our soul because it's our passion. Though, a passion injected with a sense of responsibility and safety as we go on enjoying the moments. For us, the long, challenging and quiet roads are not race tracks, but ones which should be traversed with an opportunity to reflect that somewhere against the busy pursuits of living, lie places that would make us at home with ourselves in peace and solace. 
After so much time spent on revving our soul, it was time for a good refreshment sans alcohol to replenish the body. We do so in an antique house which was converted into an ambient resto preserving the theme of the forgotten past.
Getting up shortly after sunrise on Mondays, Eddie puts on his accessories after a quick bath to start his long motorcycle ride from Cebu City to Balamban via the Transcentral Highways. He doesn’t take the company bus rides because he has good reasons not to, and so for some of his buddies who live in Balamban and neighboring provinces. Practicality aside, they simply love to ride.
On weekends, holidays or even after office hours Eddie’s group would go on a joy ride as planned or as agreed simply by impulse when weather permits. “It’s just one of the few ways we relieve ourselves from the demands of technical detail designing and it also serves to help me beat homesickness for being away from home”, says Joren, one of his ride buddies. “I have been used to living in the bustle of city life for years. Staying to work in Balamban provides me the opportunity to appreciate the beauties of natural environment in the province. The breathtaking views from atop the mountain ranges of Balamban give me different kind of peace and awe”, added Rods, another one of the riders of the group.
Each of them has his own good reason to get on their bike every once in a while for a long journey just about anywhere in the province, and that reason has created their passion – the passion to afford them a much needed work-life balance. Thus, on a good, long weekend or holiday ride, they would usually come back mentally re-charged for work at the start of the week. Repeat.
I am actually from Alcoy, a 2-3 hour drive to Balamban. I usually stop to take a photo of a picturesque scenery to show to friends and my girlfriend, sometimes proudly inviting them to come to the place. I find riding my motorcycle an exhilarating experience every time I clutch the throttle. - Jonathan (Machinery Outfitting Design Group)
A quick souvenir pose while resting on a natural cushion offered by the grass. It was such a sigh of relief after a long day's ride up one of the mountain ranges of Balamban - a reward for the courage to overcome treacherous road curves and steep ascents and descents which themselves are adventures in a sense.
In one of the stops, we took off some of our protective wears to just feel the chilly wind and atmosphere of the mountain range. There's nothing as invigorating as breathing deep the fresh aroma that emanates from the surrounding green vegetation. The experience clears the mind and soothes the soul.
We could never pass up another opportunity to immerse ourselves with the thrill of just stopping by to stand up, look far and be amazed at the spectacle of land, sea, sky, flora and distant structures of civilization within a blink from our vantage point.
When the weather is good and the holidays are long we usually convene for a ride from day to night. It never wearies our soul because it's our passion. Though, a passion injected with a sense of responsibility and safety as we go on enjoying the moments. For us, the long, challenging and quiet roads are not race tracks, but ones which should be traversed with an opportunity to reflect that somewhere against the busy pursuits of living, lie places that would make us at home with ourselves in peace and solace. 
After so much time spent on revving our soul, it was time for a good refreshment sans alcohol to replenish the body. We do so in an antique house which was converted into an ambient resto preserving the theme of the forgotten past.
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