JOJO GUTIERREZ COULD NOT hide his excitement when he got a call from Fr. Robert Reyes last month.

Reyes, more popularly known by as the ?running priest? because of advocacies he promotes by running, called Gutierrez recently from Hong Kong where he is now based, and told him that other University of the Philippines alumni were interested in donating bicycles for the ?UP Padyak? project.

Conceptualized and implemented by Gutierrez and other former members of the UP Mountaineers earlier this year, the project is aimed at promoting bicycles as an alternative and environment-friendly mode of transportation on the UP campus in Diliman, Quezon City.

For a minimum donation of P500, students can rent a bike they can use for an entire semester.

?I was really surprised when Father Reyes called me up. I thought he was just a political activist. I didn?t know that he was also an environmental activist,? Gutierrez told the Inquirer.

A few weeks after their conversation, Reyes flew home and turned over to Gutierrez two bikes he bought with his salary as a researcher of the Asian Human Rights Commission.

There was also another bonus: A donation of HK$800 from Butch Durias, president of the UP Alumni Association in Hong Kong.

?I was really thankful to Fr. Robert. I thought this was a good break for us,? Gutierrez said.

According to Reyes, he read about the UP Padyak on the Inquirer?s website, www.inquirer.net, and immediately got in touch with Gutierrez to ask how he could help out.

He said he also talked to Durias about the possibility of raising funds to buy more bikes they could donate for the project.

Reyes, who finished his doctorate in anthropology in UP Diliman where he also served as the chapel chaplain from 1996 to 2003, said Durias and other fellow UP alumni in Hong Kong were all thrilled to hear about UP Padyak.

In fact, the priest has issued a challenge to Durias? group: To raise enough money to buy 100 bicycles for the project in celebration of the university?s centennial this year.

?Projects promoting an alternative lifestyle such as this should be supported because they are unpopular and unusual,? Reyes told the Inquirer.

?We already made the initial donation. I?m sure providing 50 or 98 more bicycles won?t be difficult if we can get pledges from all UP alumni in Hong Kong,? he added.

Reyes said his instant attachment to the project could be attributed to its similarity to a campaign he launched when he marked his 50th birthday in 2005.

Also called Padyak, which stands for Payak at Dalisay na Buhay Alay sa Kalikasan, the priest said the program?s goal was to promote a healthy and alternative lifestyle among Filipinos.

Reyes said he noticed that most Filipino families have shied away from the ?simple life we all grew up with.?

?Now, people use plastics in everything they do. On the other hand, the younger ones choose junk food over native Filipino delicacies,? he said.

To promote the program, Reyes and his friend, Nonoy Jocson, embarked on a 500-kilometer ?bike and run? campaign in northern and central Luzon.

For nine days, they went around Baguio City and several towns in the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela and Mountain Province and discussed issues concerning the environment and a healthy lifestyle.

Ever since the project was featured in the Inquirer and other television programs, Gutierrez said they have received numerous inquiries from students about renting one of their bikes.

At the moment, however, they have stopped accepting applications because all of the group?s 45 bikes, including the two donated by Reyes, have already been rented out.

Gutierrez said they expect to purchase at least 15 more bicycles by the end of the month. A telecommunications company has also offered to donate several more.

He added that UP Diliman Chancellor Sergio Cao has expressed his full support for the project.