Pinoys unite in One Run, One Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos in the country and in the United States joined forces for the protection of the environment in ABS-CBN’s five-city advocacy run “One Run, One Philippines: Isang Bayan para sa Kalikasan” yesterday with a total of 88,190 participants in its local legs.

The One Run, One Philippines, held simultaneously in Quezon City, Bacolod, Cebu and Davao, is part of ABS-CBN’s star-studded two-day event called “Kwento ng Kasiyahan: The Grand Kapamilya Weekend” to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Philippine television.

Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig’s “10.06.13 Run for the Pasig River,” the Quezon City leg of One Run, One Philippines, crusaded and clamored again for Pasig River rehabilitation and cleaner esteros with 79,000 participants.

The participants of the 3k and 5k categories started at 6 a.m. at Philcoa going to Commonwealth Avenue, then finished at the Elliptical Road of Quezon Memorial Circle.

Among the runners were Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, ABS-CBN Foundation managing director Gina Lopez, ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs

head Ging Reyes, broadcasters Noli de Castro and Korina Sanchez and Kapamilya stars Anne Curtis, Xian Lim and Kim Chiu.

The crowd stayed until the post-race program that featured live band performances of 6Cyclemind, Itchyworms, Rivermaya, and The Voice of the Philippines’ Klarisse de Guzman and Mitoy Yonting, while some of the runners toured at other areas of QMC where booths of ABS-CBN programs were installed to offer different activities, treats and public service.

KBPIP has organized four successful runs for the Pasig River and had raised P25.94 million since 2009 that helped generate awareness and fund part of the rehabilitation of the esteros that lead to the Pasig River. The historic “10.10.10 Run for the Pasig River” still holds the Guinness World Record for the “most number of participants in a running event” with 116,086 runners.

The rehabilitation of esteros, which first began in Estero de Paco, is now being done in sixteen esteros in partnership with the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission.

Meanwhile, the three provincial legs all started at 4:30 a.m. with its 21K category followed by the 5K and 10K at 5:30 a.m. led by Kapamilya stars Joem Bascon, Paul Jake Castillo, and Bangs Garcia in Bacolod, Paulo Avelino and Jayson Abalos in Cebu, Maja Salvador, Aaron Villaflor and Bryan Termulo in Davao.

The Bacolod leg, which will benefit the mangrove and livelihood projects in Punta Taytay, Sum-ag River rehabilitation, had a total of 2,960 participants. In Cebu, 3,500 ran for the coastal conservation in Daan Paz, while 3,000 runners supported the ecotourism projects in Marilog Tourist Center.

Hundreds of Filipinos in the US, along with actor Jake Cuenca also took part in the Los Angeles leg held at Burbank, California, which raised funds for Bantay Kalikasan’s Green Initiative. Burbank Mayor Emily Luddy showed her support in the advocacy by joining the event.