Kudos De La Salle!

The brains behind the successful Animo Run – an event that has become a sensation to many athletes and health enthusiasts – has recently partnered with the Abacan River and Angeles Watershed Advocacy Council, Inc. (ARAW-ACI).

A big salute to the De La Salle Alumni Association Pampanga Chapter (DLSAA-PC) for signing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with ARAW-ACI for the adoption of an initial one-hectare planting site inside the 527-hectare Angeles City watershed in Sapangbato. The group has pledged to adopt 20 hectares under the Adopt-A-Watershed Reforestation Program (AWRP), a joint advocacy project of ARAW-ACI and the Angeles City LGU. For every hectare, at least 1,000 trees will be planted. For the DLSAA, the 20 hectares corresponds to about 20,000 mixed forest trees, fruit-bearing trees and bamboos.

In a simple ceremony at Fortune Clark last September 14, DLSAA-PC Chairman Aries Patawaran said that their organization’s successful management of the Animo Run and other athletic events in Clark have empowered them to fund sustainable programs. DLSAA-PC’s support for AWRP is truly commendable because of the group’s commitment to sustainable reforestation, not only in Angeles but also in Porac.

Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) OIC Darwin L. Cunanan, concurrent CIAC vice president for planning and president of DLSAA-PC, said that they have been planting in Sapangbato since 2009 and have adopted the Sapangbato as a recipient community for their outreach programs. He added that they have another green project in Porac, a 24-hectare botanical garden in Hacienda Dolores within the Alviera development area. The Pampanga LaSallians’spirit for community service and for sustainable development complements the United Nations goal for smart and resilient cities around the world. The Kapampangan LaSallians have set a high bar that is not easy to emulate. Their sincere participation in nation-building is undeniable - more, inspirational.

On top of their environmental projects, the DLSAA-PC and its directors including siblings Coach Ave and Coach Jumbo Tayag are equally making waves in grooming world-class triathlon athletes.

LaSallians Coach Ave and Coach Jumbo of GoClark Sports & Events have partnered with RLC Residences and with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) for the upcoming RLC Triathlon Race at the New Clark City on September 24-25.

About 700 participants, including foreign athletes, will compete during the event. The race will feature a 900-meter swim at the NCC Aquatics Center followed by two laps of a 50-kilometer bike course around the NCC Access Road and will end with a 12kilometer run around the NCC Athletics Stadium.

Apart from the elite athletes who will be joining the competition, the event will also introduce a kids and age-group aquathlon on Sept. 24, and a shorter triathlon category of a 500-meter swim, 25-kilometer bike, and a six-kilometer run.

During a brief talk with the Tayag siblings, they said that one of their advocacies for Go Clark is to train local athletes who can compete at par with the international players. For them, triathlon is also a family-oriented sport that can groom a healthy lifestyle for many Kapampangans and others.

The Kapampangan LaSallians deserve a salute for their valuable contribution to Pampanga’s holistic growth. DLSAA and Go Clark Philippines have become models of private sector organizations and social entrepreneurs that provide genuine services to their communities, rather than profiting from their endeavor s.