Simultaneous Run 2 Plant for Greenin Philippines fires off

AN ESTIMATED 50,000 runners will take part in today’s Run 2 Plant for Greenin Philippines, which will be held simultaneously in 40 municipalities and component cities of the province of Cebu.

The event, already on its third year under the thrust of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI),  aims to raise public awareness in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation among leaders of local government units. It also encourages multiple partnerships in caring for the environment through the active participation of all sectors and establish a forest model in each of the 50 towns and cities in Cebu.

Naga City and Cordova will anchor the central events.

In Naga, participants will run a five-kilometer distance from the Naga City Hall to the 10-hectare planting site in barangay Tuyan, where volunteers trained as planting coaches will guide participants on how to plant the seedlings.

The Cordova central event will assemble at the municipal hall. The runners will head to a two-hectare mangrove site, where 20,000 mangrove propagules will be planted.

The run supports the “ridge to reef” perspective in biodiversity enhancement by enhancing the vegetation of both upland and coastal areas.

Last year, around 15,000 volunteering runners took part and planted in Jaclupan, Talisay City. Just like last year, most of the participants will be public elementary and high school students as well as those from catholic schools from Mindanao through RAFI’s collaboration with the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines.

To ensure the growth and survival of the native trees seedlings planted during the event, RAFI will initiate monthly inspection and maintainance activities with National Greening Program (NGP) partners and the GREENIN Philippines Program volunteers. GREENIN stands for Generation, REdemption and Expansion of Natural Resources INitiatives. /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL