Around 500 runners recently participated in the 2nd family fun run for the rehabilitation of the Marikina Watershed, part of the collective impact initiative of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), with PLDT as co-presenter, in partnership with the City Government of Marikina.
In photo are some of the PLDT employee-volunteers who joined the fun run.
The initiative is geared towards the reforestation efforts at the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL).
PLDT’s May Ann Furio, Jr. Financial Analyst at the financial business intelligence warehousing division, bagged the 3rd place in the 10K women’s category. She was among the hundreds of runners who joined the fun run which also included 5K and 3K categories.
“Taking part in PLDT’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts enables every employee-volunteer to always do something more for a certain community and advocacy. This year’s Family Fun Run for the benefit of the Marikina Watershed is no exception. I believe that we must continuously advocate for our environment by spreading knowledge and awareness of the things we can do to make it better,” Furio said.
“With all the recent environmental catastrophes the world is facing, we must do everything we can to save and protect our one true home – Mother Earth,” PLDT Community Relations (ComRel) Division Head Katherine P. Diaz De Rivera said. “We hope that our collective efforts in rehabilitating the Marikina Watershed will help in ensuring a better future for our children and the generations to come.”
In line with the rehabilitation of the Marikina Watershed, PLDT also conducts various tree-planting activities. It also organized an eco-tour on alternative livelihood opportunities for farmers from various organizations along the watershed area.
Reforesting the Marikina Watershed
In 2010, PBSP launched its Marikina Watershed Initiative Program (MWIP), the private sector’s response to the havoc caused by Typhoon Ondoy in September 2009. The deforestation of the Marikina Watershed largely contributed to the record-breaking floods in Metro Manila and neighboring cities at that time. The lack of trees in the watershed made the ground incapable of absorbing rainwater which flowed to the lowlands instead.
Covering over 26,000 hectares and spanning the city of Antipolo and the municipalities of Baras, Rodriguez, San Mateo, and Tanay, Rizal, the MWIP program contributes to the reforestation and revitalization of the UMRBPL.
To date, PBSP and its member-companies have reforested 318 hectares and planted more than 320,000 native and fruit-bearing trees that will also provide sustainable source of livelihood for the locals.
PBSP Executive Director Reynaldo Antonio Laguda said the organization believes that each individual can contribute in addressing social problems. This is captured in PBSP’s campaign called #KasaliAko. The campaign aims to invite everyone to be involved and included in the nation’s growth and development.
“By running in the Marikina Watershed Family Fun Run, one is already doing his or her part in helping the environment and is included in PBSP’s collective response that leads to restoring the Watershed and bringing various interventions to the locals,” said Laguda.
