Going the distance

MANILA, Philippines - Living up to the name of their advocacy run Takbo Maharlika, Fr. Carmelo Diola and retired police Chief Superintendent Samson Tucay set off from Laoag City on August 8 on a noble journey across the country. The unlikely pair will traverse the 2,888 kilometers of the Maharlika Highway, which will take them down the length of Luzon, through Eastern Visayas all the way to Zamboanga City, aiming “to change ourselves and the Philippines one step at a time.”

The epic undertaking will last eight months. “Sam and I will try to keep in step with each other even as we offer ourselves to be purified by God and to call on individuals and groups to sacrifice for the country, and to live and lead by the basics of prayer, fitness, and citizenship,” Diola writes in a reflection on the advocacy run.

Coming from very different backgrounds, the priest and the policeman both had their own biases when they met in 2003.

“I was with the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force. I attended a forum in Cebu which Fr. Melo helped organize, him being at the helm of Kamatuoran, an advocacy group against illegal drugs,” Tucay recalls.

“He was at least indifferent, hostile at most,” he says of Diola’s initial reaction towards him.

Diola adds, “I still recall my initial mixed feelings upon meeting him one afternoon. After all, I had stereotyped images of police officers and academy graduates. But I was willing to suspend my judgment.”

Despite their initial reactions, the conference enabled the two to interact and discover many shared interests and advocacies.

“We got to appreciate each other’s passion in the jobs we were in and that was how we started to give each other a chance to ease up on our apprehension and spontaneously, the relationship developed from there,” says Tucay.

From this friendship, the seed of Takbo Maharlika was planted. “My friendship with Kuya Sam built upon the idea of being accountable partners,” says Diola, who describes Takbo Maharlika as the “convergence of several desires.” He credits Gen. Arturo Cacdac Jr., a classmate of Tucay, with the idea of a run through the Maharlika Highway. This fit perfectly with Tucay’s passion for running and fitness.

Retired police Chief Superintendent Samson Tucay and Fr. Carmelo Diola have formed an unlikely partnership that will bring them across the country in Takbo Maharlika.

“I have been running since I was a plebe at the PMA in 1974,” says Tucay. “I saw to it that all those times that I have required men and women under me to run, I ran with them.”

Tucay even took miscreant police officers with him on a 30-day program. “I ran with them every day for 30 days and listened to their stories… We helped them decide to transform themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually. Their stories touched many lives, including mine and Fr. Diola’s.”

With the success of these projects, the plans for Takbo Maharlika were cemented. “The objective is to help bring about unity in the country,” says Diola. Their message, he adds, is “Changing ourselves and the Philippines one step at a time by living and leading by the basics of prayer, fitness and citizenship.”

Good citizenship, both agree, can be achieved through simple acts of discipline, including being on time, falling in line and staying in line, reading and following instructions, and disposing of garbage properly.

The advocacy run also holds personal significance to both men. “It means rediscovering the joy of sacrifice and of being with people,” says Diola. Tucay, on the other hand, sees the run as a personal retreat. “In its totality, this run will help me purge myself physically, emotionally and spiritually.” He adds, “I am praying that in the process I will be able to be at peace with myself, my God and the people around me.”

With the start of Takbo Maharlika only days away, both Tucay and Diola are busy training and preparing for their journey.

Diola’s regimen includes daily runs of at least 10 kilometers, consulting doctors and nutritionists, as well as becoming spiritually prepared – praying and reading the Bible everyday.

As for Tucay, he has been training for a run like this all his life: “I have been trying to run or do aerobic exercises at least five times a week from 1974 to date.”

Aside from making preparations, Tucay, who retired from the service in 2008, is kept busy supporting his family. He is also a trustee of Dilaab Foundation, Inc., a group led by Diola.

“I finished teaching a one-semester subject taught as a module,” says Diola on what he has been busy with on the days leading up to Takbo Maharlika. “I am also tying up many loose ends at our Dilaab office and establishing a system for me to be in contact with my staff and network even during the run.”

Both men look forward to interacting with communities that they will meet along the way. “For eight months, one can say the highway becomes a parish of sorts,” says Diola.

The next eight months are sure to be physically, mentally and spiritually taxing on the two runners and they are asking for prayers for their success and safety. Those who are interested can also support the cause by running side by side with Diola and Tucay as Solidarity Maharlika Runners.

“The idea is for them to appreciate the advocacy and be challenged to be personally involved by starting a comfortable running or walking program right where they live or work with hopes of finishing 2,888 kilometers or the whole Maharlika Highway distance,” says Tucay. “In the process, silently and without fancy, through prayer and self reflection, become the person our God and this country can truly be happy about.”

After reaching the finish line in Zamboanga City, the two plan to hold similar runs in Cebu and other cities, says Diola. “We will continue to promote good citizenship and leadership through doable steps, especially among the youth,” he adds.

Kicking off the run last Monday morning, Diola texted friends: “Takbo Maharlika kicked off this a.m. in Laoag with about 300 runners. Yes, coming together and changing ourselves and the Philippines one step at a time. Thanking God for connecting many loose ends in logistics and opportunities to rediscover the joys of sacrifice and service! Also for good Ilocano food.”

Follow Takbo Maharlika on facebook.