MANILA, Philippines ? Over 6,000 cyclists in costumes, working on the theme ?Bike to Work, Bike to School, Bike to Play, Bike Today,? recently toured the country?s hottest and most polluted major artery during the 11th Tour of the Fireflies (ToF).

Armed with the environmental message ?One less car: I bike for clean air,? road bikes, mountain bikes, cruisers and good old-fashioned single-speeders took to EDSA (Epifanio delos Santos Avenue) to make their point.

The motley bikers in costumes?such as fairies, butterflies, forest folk, angels, aliens and even Elvis Presley?have prompted the annual ToF to be billed as the country?s ?Mardi Gras on wheels.? Miss Earth candidates also joined the tour.

?EDSA is the biggest street in Metro Manila, interconnecting all other cities,? said Firefly Brigade president Ricky Pineda. ?It symbolizes traffic in the country. So we thought, why not hold this year?s ToF at EDSA??

This year, for the first time, ToF was held nationwide?in Cagayan de Oro City, over 100 cyclists participated; Bacolod, 280; Palawan, 195; and in Baguio.

It was the Firefly Brigade?s way of jumpstarting the celebration of Earth Day in Metro Manila and the 10th anniversary of the passing of the Philippine Clean Air Act.

This year, it is urging the government to implement Administrative Order 254 issued by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which encourages people to walk, bike and ride the train to reduce the county?s carbon footprint.

Cities like Marikina, Makati and Las Piñas have become bike-friendly by putting up bike lanes and bicycle parking facilities, Pineda said.

In Serendra, once a no-no for cyclists, bikes are now even allowed to be hauled within the shopping complex and securely parked anywhere outside the shops and restaurants, he said adding he was hoping that other cities would follow the example.

?If people regularly bike, there would be less pollution in the metropolis,? he explained. ?A bicycle is an excellent alternative and sustainable form of transportation. Not to mention that it?s a good form of exercise.?

The Firefly Brigade holds Critical Mass Rides every third Saturday of the month, in which anyone with a bike can join a 30-kilometer ride (e-mail blinking_fireflies@yahoo.com). They also hold regular courses on Introductory Ride to Mountain Bike, in cooperation with the Pinoy MTB online organization.

The ToF started 11 years ago with 300 cyclists biking on a 69-kilometer route in Metro Manila. Today, it is the biggest cycling event in the country, with participants ranging from four to 70 years old.

?It?s the car culture in the country that?s causing pollution to rise each year,? Pineda rued. ?You can?t be cool if you don?t own a car, which really is a clever marketing strategy of car manufacturers.?