Fun run raises money for indigenous group

ILOILO CITY – Around 250 runners joined last Sunday’s “Run for the Mountains 2018,” a fun run to help Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in Iloilo.

Spearheaded by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Ilang-Ilang-Iloilo Chapter, the event had two categories, the 5 and 10-kilometer runs.

The participants are composed of students, teachers and representatives from the government agencies including the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine National Police.

The proceeds of the activity will go to indigenous families in the village of Lanit, Jaro, Iloilo City, according to Lenore Angeline Divinagracia, JCI Iloilo Ilang-ilang president.

Divinagracia said the event raised P59,000 which will be used by the indigenous group to raise native chickens.

“According to a study, if they (IPs) do not have income in a particular place, they really roam around in the city or wherever they want,” she said.

Divinagracia said the IP community in Lanit was also the beneficiary of their biggest project, the building of 25 housing units last year.

The P10-million housing project was realized in partnership with the Iloilo City government, Base Bahay Foundation, Inc. (BBFI), Homeless People’s Federation of the Philippines (HPFP), Hilti Foundation (HF), Western Institute of Technology (WIT), Ati Tribes Mission, Inc. (ATMI), among other private partners.

The BBFI has contributed P6 million for the housing while other partners raised an additional P4 million, Divinagracia said.

“Since we already provided them with houses we want them to have livelihood so they would really stay in their community,” she said.

“We are here to guide them and to monitor them maybe quarterly to check the progress of their livelihood,” she added.

The first 50 finishers of the fun run received medals.

Divinagracia said 22 runners were from the indigenous community. (PNA)