Over 200T join "biggest" Alay-Lakad

CEBU – An estimated 200,000 walkers from different walks of life marked the biggest ever Alay-Lakad Walk-for-a-Cause yesterday.

Participants from different walks of life especially from the academe have become part of Alay-Lakad’s cause to help the rising number of out-school-youths get educated.

Renato Aquino, Alay-Lakad chairman for this year, said he heard unofficially that they were able to collect more or less P100,000 from the donations of walkers.

However, he said, it was less than what they expected because he learned that some did walk but did not contribute.

Aquino said not all walkers paid the amount of P5 registration fee which serves as a contribution to be used in the programs of Alay-Lakad for the out-of-school youth.

Aquino said most of those who forgot to pay were students.

Yet, Aquino said though it was the case, he is still thankful for their participation because it created a great impact and a bandwagon effect.

He said that had they collected P5 from all the participants, they should have accumulated about a million pesos.

Aquino said despite this, they will still continue their fund raising activity but this time through alternative ways.

They will follow-up the solicitation they sent to Cebu North district Rep. Raul del Mar and South district Rep. Antonio Cuenco respectively Aquino said.

The Alay-Lakad committee also ventured in selling raffle tickets to collect fund from tickets sold at 99 centavos each.

The figures Aquino gave to the press were only estimations, he said, because today shall be their official proper accounting.

Aquino said that Mayor Tomas Osmeña told them, that was so far the biggest Alay-Lakad walk.

The Cebu City government, through Osmeña, allegedly promised them that for every participant walker, the city will give P6 for each.

But Aquino said that they are still waiting to claim the financial funding counterpart for the 2006 Alay-Lakad yet. He said it takes time to claim the money from the City hall because the process is so slow.

He said they have already completed all the requirements they had to prepare and Osmeña is set to approve their request this week.

Alay-Lakad hopes to reach their target of 500 out-of-school youth scholars.

In fact, Aquinio said, 152 sponsored students shall attend a vocational course in November. — Jessica Ann Pareja/BRP (THE FREEMAN)