Mall gets marathoner as advocacy partner

CEBU, Philippines - Marathoner Tony Galon turned his simple new year's resolution into a growing advocacy in Cebu.

Galon started a habit of picking up five pieces of garbage on the street and throwing them properly into the garbage bin while doing his routine exercise; running.

He later used the social media to advance his advocacy by opening the "5 Pieces Daily Habit" page on Facebook. 

The "5 Pieces Daily Habit" was recently invited by Ayala center Cebu to be one of the partners in "Bayan, Bayani Volunteer Drive," a sign up campaign for shoppers to support different advocacies here in Cebu from June 12-16.

"I am happy with Ayala, because it is for me to educate the mall-goers and let them sign up for the advocacies. I am hoping that soon it will be four pieces, three pieces till reach zero that my daily habit can reach," said Galon.

Galon, who took the extra mile in spreading awareness to the people by posting his daily picks of trashes on his Facebook page, has encouraged other people to do the same.

 "Since 2015 it has been my habit to have five pieces every day. It's simple as picking up plastic trash and throw it in the proper bin," said Galon.

Galon, founder of Cebu Ultramarathon Club and a blood donor runner, together with his volunteers organized in November last year their first event called "BASURA RUN" starting from Mandaue Time Square to the park under the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.

The event was featured in national TV. The group is holding the "second edition" of his cleanup run on the last week of June in Codova, Cebu.

Galon said he is very happy with how his simple advocacy is making noise and has reached some advocates in Mexico, United Arab Emirates and Japan.

In fact, a Japanese national working as language translator at a BPO company in Cebu organized last week a cleanup drive in I.T. Park. Hironobu Maehara, 27, led a group of volunteers in picking up garbage and throwing them properly into a garbage bin. (FREEMAN)