Running beside the historical city of Intramuros where our beloved Colegio de San Juan de Letran hails, the Pasig River has been a silent witness to more than centuries of history of the Filipino nation. Unfortunately, the Pasig River had been through all sorts of abuses, man-made or not, deliberate or consequential.
A number of administrations of the Philippine government, groups, both private and public, environmental institutions had worked their way to help save the slowly deteriorating Pasig River. One of the most aggressive about this movement is the ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. (AFI).
The ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. spearheaded a fund raising marathon last November 8, 2009. The Philippine International Marathon: A Run for the Pasig River was organized by the AFI’s Kapit Bisisg para sa Ilog Pasig (KBPIP) under the supervision of race director Rudy Biscocho. The marathon featured different categories; 42 kilometer (solo and group category), 10 kilometer, 5 kilometer and 3 kilometer races. The marathon aimed to raise awareness among people about the necessity and importance of reviving the dying Pasig River. It also aimed to raise funds to rehabilitate the Pasig River.
The Instituto Scientifico (IS), a recognized student organization of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, living with the Colegio’s mission to be a nationally-responsive institution, participated and played an active part in the Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig’s International Marathon: A Run for the Pasig River.
Instituto Scientifico’s officers, Jayson Dela Paz, Joseph Rivera and Gerard Fuentes, together with their adviser, Asst. Prof. Catherine Sanchez, and other CLAS Faculty Members; Asst. Prof. Felipe dela Cruz, Asst. Prof. Irene Sayas, and Mr. Louie Benedict Ignacio participated in the fund-raising marathon. All of them joined and finished the 5 kilometer marathon. The Colegio’s delegation assembled around five in the morning, together with 22,000 other participant-runners at the Kilometer Zero, or the Luneta Park.
Together with other celebrities like Mayors Alfredo Lim and Jojo Binay, Anthony Pangilinan and Maricel Laxa, Tessa Prieto-Valdez, Karen Davila, and TJ Manotoc, the IS officers and CLAS Faculty Members run from Kilometer 0 up to Quirino Avenue and back to the Quirino Grandstand to finish the 5 kilometer run. Filled with enthusiasm as the other runners from other schools, institutions, and corporations, the Colegio’s delegate saw the overwhelming support of Filipinos to rehabilitate the Pasig River, wishing that this effort will not end here and will be fruitful in the near future.
The Philippine International Marathon was first established in 2000 thru the efforts of the Clean and Green Foundation headed by former First Lady Ming Ramos. Mrs. Ramos and her husband, former President Fidel V. Ramos was also present during the ceremonies and joined as well in the marathon. ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc.’s Managing Director Gina Lopez was all praise and thanks to all who went out and supported the program of AFI. She said that they would target to gather 100,000 runners next time.
The government, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, and the ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. agreed thru a Memorandum that they will co-manage the rehabilitation of Pasig River. This brought into existence the Kapit Bisig para sa Ilog Pasig in February 2009.
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