PHILHEALTH NATIONWIDE RUN: Huge turnout for Davao leg

by Neil Bravo
The 2013 PhilHealth Run fires off this morning with the biggest field assembled in the local running scene this year.
Some 4,200 runners (as of Saturday afternoon) are expected to answer the starting gun at SM City Davao Parking C in Quimpo Boulevard for the 3K, 5K, 10K and 18K races in the Davao leg of this nationwide ‘simul’ run which aims to raise funds for the country’s mother and child care program.
“4,200 runners have registered as of this time (Saturday afternoon) and we are still expecting some late registrants to beat the deadline,” said race organizer Kenneth Sai of Vantage Sports.
In Davao Region, the race aims to raise funds for the Southern Philippines Medical Center children cancer patients under the Kids of Hope program. Last year, the Philhealth run was able to turn over P1.4 Million for Kids of Hope while the nationwide charity raised some P5 Million.
The 2013 Philhealth Run will be staged simultaneously in 18 key areas nationwide, specifically in the cities of Manila, Dagupan, Tuguegarao, Malolos, Laguna, Batangas, Legazpi, Iloilo, Cebu, Tacloban, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Koronadal, Marawi, Butuan and in Clark, Pampanga.
“We are looking at 6,000 runners for Davao,” Filbert Bryan Sollesta, Division Chief of Philhealth Davao Region, said.
All categories will have a men’s and women’s divisions while the categories for 3K are further expanded to Kiddies, Students and Adults.
Cash prizes are up for grabs in the race while the fastest 18K and 10K finishers will receive round trip tickets to respective destinations courtesy of Philippine Airlines.
Also today in Koronadal City, around 5,600 runners coming from various parts of Region 12 are expected to join the Socsargen leg of the Philhealth Run.
Joy Lizada, PhilHealth Region 12’s senior social insurance officer, said last week they increased the region’s previous target of 5,000 runners or participants for the event due to the rising support from various sectors in the last several weeks.
As of last count, Lizada said a total of 4,403 runners have already signed up for the annual run’s five categories and hundreds more have signified to enlist in the coming days.
“Region 12’s assigned quota was only for 5,000 runners but we requested our central office to allow us to open 600 additional slots so we can accommodate more participants,” Lizada said.
Region 12, which is also known as the Soccsksargen Region, comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato. (with report from Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)