Ligiron Race : Environment Friendly Vehicles in Negros Oriental

“Ligiron”.In the 1960’s, according to oral tradition, the farmers of Bongbong, Valencia,Negros Oriental,out of the need to bring down their harvest fast to the lowlands,came up with an innovation that deserves recognition. Made of materials found in the forest, they invented a toboggan-like vehicle called “ligiron”. Derived from the Cebuano “ligid” (wheel), “ligiron” is very environment friendly - no gas or battery, no harmful emissions. Even its lubricant is from grated cocoa seeds. The vehicle with its driver, a basket or two full of harvest and another person to hold the basket(s) rushes downhill like a mad manpowered by gravity and occasional push. The original models do not have any braking mechanism; thus, these rely only on “foot brakes” (in the most literal sense of the term).