PACQUIAO AND THE 10.10.10 PASIG RIVER RUN
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 11 Oct 2010
World pound-for-pound king Congressman Manny Pacquiao joined more than 100,000 runners in the fun run called ?10.10.10 A Run for the Pasig River? organized by Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig. It happened on October 10, 2010 starting at different points, at Mall of Asia, CCP Complex and Ayala Avenue in Makati City.
The run was aimed at creating advocacy and awareness for the enormous task of cleaning up Pasig River, the biggest waterway going through the urban centers of Metro Manila, even through Malacanan Palace.
The organizers aimed to raise an amount of P10 million to P12 million from donations and registrations of the fun run. The primary beneficiary is the clean up of Estero de San Miguel, a major tributary to the Pasig River, according to ABS-CBN managing director Gina Lopez. Last year, dredging and relocation of informal settlers along Estero de Paco, a tributary of Pasig River, had started.
According to Pacquiao, ?Pasig is the river of life and the demise of the river due to industrial pollution and the simple acts of throwing garbage is just like a death blow to the generations to come. The clogging of the waterways is just like our downfall because of the hazards brought by the floods.?
Pacquiao was one concerned citizen who wanted to be counted on as an advocate for the restoration of the life of the Pasig River. He enjoined every individual to unite hand-in-hand, like his every fight, to work for the revitalization of the Pasig.
He took time out from his sparring sessions and intense training in Baguio City and motored to Manila to take part in the historic Pasig run.
Runners from the private sector, religious sector, business sector, non-government organizations, students, the police and the armed forces, and government agencies were united in joining the biggest fun run in Philippine history.
There were 160,000 registrants but only 101,000 runners were accounted at the finish line. It was short of breaking the Guiness World Record of 110,000 runners during the "Bay to Breakers" run in San Francisco, California in 1988.
But it was 5 times more than the 23,000 runners who took part in the Pasig run last year. And it could still be considered as the biggest advocacy run in the world.
Pacquiao joined the celebrities and officials who showed up to give moral support to the cause including former President Fidel V. Ramos and wife Ming, Vice-President Jejomar Binay, Mayors Alfredo Lim of Manila and Antonino Calixto of Pasay, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino, DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde, and Presidential sister Ballsy Aquino-Cruz.
Top Photo: Congressman and world boxing champion Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao runs during the 'Run for Pasig River' event in Manila October 10, 2010. Thousands of runners filled up major roads as they joined a fun run which was organized to raise funds to rehabilitate Manila's polluted Pasig River and try to set a Guinness World Record for the most number of participants in a foot race. REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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