Since the turn over of a new Royal Enfield bike to the Villafuerte family in Pili, Camarines Sur, riding coach Meng Sevilla has been a regular fixture of this place which is famous for its watersports facilities.
The story goes that Camarines Sur representative ‘LRay’ Villafuerte requested Sevilla to conduct a special training session for him and his children. Impressed with his teaching skills, Villafuerte not only asked for Sevilla to train for local riders, but also to develop a 30-hectare land beside the CamSur Watersports Complex for basic and advance riding courses.
“Simula noon, tuluy-tuloy na,” says Sevilla, who’s known in the riding community for his deep passion for coaching riders and promoting riding safety as well. Currently, Sevilla is busy juggling his time between training small groups of riders and supervising the construction. He expects the project to go full-blast by March this year.
His students ride either their personal bikes or rented dual-purpose bikes provided by Yamaha Motor Philippines, like the XTZ 125, WR155, and Serow 250. After honing their off-roading skills, the students are accompanied by Sevilla to the challenging trails of Pili, where they can take in breathtaking views of the countryside.
Villafuerte has included in his ambitious plan a special riding course similar to the Honda Safety Driving Center that will feature road obstacles, intersections, and a bridge to simulate normal riding situations. If the plan goes well, a tarmac circuit will also be built in the area.
According to Sevilla, Villafuerte gives priority to riding safety because of the increasing number of riders in Bicol and its neighboring areas. The facility will be open to riders of all ages.
