Ooops… sorry! He’s not the real Captain America. He’s Rico Bañaga, a 45-year-old fan of this Marvel superhero.
“Napanood ko ‘yung pelikula niya tapos nagalingan ako sa kaniya. Idol ko siya,” he told First Bike Ride. “Tapos nakita ko itong helmet na ito sa Divisoria kaya binili ko na.”
Well, it’s not actually a helmet specifically made for cycling. It’s a rubber mask that’s usually worn by kids during costume parties.
With his light blue bicycle that is accented with red and white lines, the head cover complements the overall Captain America look. He matches it with a face mask that has the hero’s emblem.
“Nitong lockdown ko lang binili itong bike, 500 pesos. Ginagamit ko kapag may lakad,” he said. “Sira na ito noong nakuha ko, inayos ko lang.”
His bicycle is old, composed of various bike parts that fit perfectly for a decent spin. He installed a wooden plank on its frame (with a Virgin Mary image and of course, Captain America stickers) where he can conveniently attach his things.
Rico works as a janitor and he was on his way to Manila City hall to fix some documents when we saw him.
Before we said our goodbyes, we saw something fascinating. There’s an Ironman sticker at the back of his Captain America headdress.
“Kakampi siya kaya siya nandiyan,” he told us.
