‘One step at a time’
Like our journey in the Maharlika Highway dubbed Takbo Maharlika covering 2,387 kilometers from Aug. 8, 2011, to March 23, 2012, our road to good governance may be achieved one step at a time.
Due to foot blisters, I was forced to wear these sandals for the run. I have used them from Ilocos Norte to our end point today, I told a group of police officers in their athletic uniforms as I held up my worn leather sandals, which is still in one piece.
The men and women in blue were gathered at Camp Batalla in Zamboanga City, scene of an ugly incident in 1987, a stone’s throw from the seaport, the end point of the run.
The Takbo Maharlika tandem is an an odd couple. Samson R. Tucay is a retired 59-year-old PNP general while I am a diocesan priest from Cebu who volunteered to keep him company. He represents running; I represent prayer. But he makes me run, and I make him to pray more.
Together, we called on people to bring together prayer and fitness into their lives as foundations for good citizenship and leadership.
We started in Laoag City on Aug. 8, 2011, and ended in Zamboanga City last March 23, 2012, about seven months later. That first 10 kilometers in Laoag still needed to be replicated about 200 times as we ended up completing 2,387 kilometers or about 83 percent of the total highway we were allowed to run through. This translates into 2,864,400 steps!
Takbo Maharlika took us through 11 regions, 30 provinces, 13 chartered cities and traversed the National Capital Region. We ran and walked with at least 30,000 police officers, soldiers, barangay officials, students, pastors, priests and other Filipinos, and shared TM’s advocacy to at least 50,000 who attended our more than 160 fora.
We met many inspiring individuals along the way. Bishops and priests shared with us not just their food and residence but also friendship and laughter.
Our footprints, if any, have quickly disappeared. Security concerns prevented us from running the entire highway. After the first 320 kilometers, we decided to alternate our running and to walk four kilometers and run eight kilometers so others may join.
Palm Sunday celebrates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The prophet from Galilee had traveled around 104 km. All the gospel accounts of the entry involve a colt or an ass that Jesus rides on.
Yes, one step at a time.
(The author is the overall coordinator of the Cebu-based Dilaab Foundation Inc.)
