Sierra Madre trail run benefits Dumagats
Imagine running outdoors, through mountain trails enjoying fresh air and an expansive view of surrounding municipalities interspersed with lush forest cover.
That is exactly what running enthusiasts experienced recently in a trail run in the mountains of Sierra Madre in Sta. Maria, Laguna. The run was organized by the Capitol Medical Center Radiology Department, supported by Smart Communications, Inc. and the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF). Proceeds from the run will benefit the Dumagat ethnic group residing at the Marikina Watershed.
It was also meant to increase public awareness on the need to preserve and rehabilitate the country’s forests. The area where the trail run was held, for instance, is a secondary forest, which means that all the trees and vegetation there were replanted and not the original forest cover, lost to illegal logging.
“Through this trail run, we want the runners to have a profound experience with nature and develop a stewardship attitude towards our environment,” said Smart Public Af- fairs Group head Ramon Isberto. Beginners chose the 3-kilometer run, others braved the 7-km course, while the hard-core runners conquered the 10-km course.
Runners enjoyed camping and stargazing the night before the race. The close commune with nature gave the participants a rejuvenating experience.
During the run, participants couldn’t resist stopping from time to time to take photos of the view from the trail and take a moment to enjoy the fresh air and the state of tranquility. The runners did not mind the distance, nor the steep trails and even the exhaustion from the race. They actually felt recharged.
“I didn’t feel very tired because my attention was focused on the nature around me. The clean air and silence were refreshing, too,” said Marissa Mercado, one of the Smart employees who joined the trail run. Smart, with its advocacy to promote both healthy lifestyle and environmental stewardship, always urges its employees to participate in these kinds of activities.
The Dumagat beneficiaries of the trail run are also the community partners of PDRF and Smart in the Marikina Watershed Initiative, which aims to protect, reforest and rehabilitate the watershed.
The Marikina Watershed is a major catch basin for rainfall, streaming water to various water forms in surrounding areas. In 2009, the denuded watershed was not able to absorb the excessive water brought by Tropical Storm Ondoy, causing massive flashfl in low-lying areas nearby, including Metro Manila.
In response to this, PDRF and its government and corporate partners, including Smart, launched the Marikina Watershed Initiative that same year.