Phl Water Runs gets going in Cebu

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Water Runs (PWR), a nationwide series of races held to generate awareness on the importance of water, will kick off on July 24 in Cebu featuring the 3k, 5k and 12k runs.

Davao will host the second leg in August while the third stage will be held in Naga City in September. Baguio will take its turn as host in October while the fifth leg is slated in November in Angeles City-Clark.

The circuit will culminate in the Manila run in December, featuring the 21k race, according to the organizers.

Cash prizes and trophies will be given to the top 10 winners of each category. The 3k is an open race while the 5k and 10k will be for runners 13-year-old and above.

“We are preparing very unique race packets for every participant, that will include a collector’s item special Dri-Fit Shirt made by Jockey USA, and other collectibles,” said race director Adi Delos Reyes.

Registration dates and venues will soon be announced.

This early, the city governments of Cebu and Davao, have already committed their support to the event. Beneficiaries are the Children’s Hour and Kaakbay sa Kalikasan. Proceeds will be used to improve water conditions and provide LifeStraw to the most deprived communities.

For inquiries on how support the PWR, e-mail [email protected].

PWR is in line with the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals promoting child and maternal care by preventing water-borne diseases common to children and pregnant women. Lack of clean and safe water is fast-becoming one of the world’s biggest problems. In the Philippines, access to clean water remains quite a challenge.

According to the UN-MDGF, over 1.1 billion people worldwide don’t have access to clean and safe water, including 15.73 million Filipinos.

“It is both ironic and critical that an archipelago such as ours has that little access to safe drinking water,” said Erwin Po, president of the sponsoring Veepo Global resources, exclusive distributor of LifeStraw. “We are aiming to somehow make a dent in those huge numbers by raising funds to provide LifeStraw and hopefully better the lives of our countrymen.”

Lifestraw, a brand of portable water filter that was used by UNICEF in its humanitarian efforts in Africa. In 2005, it was named Invention of the Year by Time magazine.