LTO & Eagles Motorcade
As a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Philippine Eagles, I joined an Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Eagles Club of Cagayan de Oro sponsored motorcade through the city. Just two days before I had joined a motorcade with the Traffic Management Group and the Karanchos, which was also co-sponsored by the Eagles Club of Cagayan de Oro. I only took still photos during prior to and after that motorcade, but with the LTO motorcade I decided to dangle my camera aroundd my neck while driving my scooter. And to take whatever opportunity arose to video parts of the motorcade.
The rougher parts of the motorcade are of course not recorded because I had to keep two hands on the handlebars. However, during safer driving conditions I tried to point the camera along the way to give people a feel for what it is like to participate in a motorcade in The Philippines.
The TMG-Karancho motorcade was bit better managed because it was apparent they had designated some motorcyclists to lead the pack and to enter major road intersections and halt traffic before the rest of the motorcycles and cars went through. These people would then speed back throught the motorcade to the forefront to intercede in the next negotiation of a major intersections. In the LTO motorcade it did not appear as if anyone had been disgnated to stop traffice at major intersections, and while it not have been absolutely necessary, I felt it appropriate to intercede and stop traffic at two major points along the route.
At one point we were heading into town to take a left to go around Limketkai Mall, and there were other cars trying to make the same turn, from both directions, which would have interrupted our motorcade, so I stopped my bike and blocked traffic until the motorcade was fully through. I don’t think Cagayan de Oro has ever seen a foreigner directing or commanding traffic before, but I strongly suspect it will not be the last time.
The second time I intervened with traffic flow was right in front of McDonald’s at Cogon. The roads there merge from a divided road to an undivided road and this area is a major stopping area for jeepneys. There was one large Isuzu truck that was trying get by this area, but because of all the jeepneys on the other side of the road, if he came any more forward he would block the motorcade. Filipiinos are such cheaters at driving that I knew he would continue to inch forward and eventually block the motorcade so I stopped my bike right in front of him, gave him a hand signal to stop and began filming the rest of the motorcade as it came by.
After the motorcade went by I then zipped throught he motorcade cars and trucks and caught up with the motorcycle contingent.
There is a full Photo Gallery of the LTO-Eagles Motorcade here, but I would suggest you watch the 15 MB video of the motorcade to really get a feel fore it.