Allianz Backs Aeta Youth in Obstacle course race

MANILA, Philippines — Allianz is doing something that has never been done before. The global insurer is celebrating the strength of indigenous people, particularly the Aetas of Porac, Pampanga, by introducing them to the rising sport of obstacle course racing (OCR).

Last Sunday, the third leg of the Allianz Conquer Challenge was held in Clark Global City in Pampanga, where 20 Aetas, between 16 and 21 years old, raced together with 20 Allianz employees in the pairs category.  The Aeta participants are students of Villa Maria Integrated School, an adopted public school of Allianz PNB Life, atop the mountains in Porac, Pampanga.

“We recognize the strength of the Aetas. So, aside from educating them with the basics of personal finance through our financial literacy program, we would like to impart to them the value of committing to achieve goals that they have to set. We want to give them a fair chance of having employment opportunities in the future,” said Gae Martinez, chief marketing officer, Allianz PNB Life.

Sunday’s race was a 10km-race composed of 25 obstacles, which was the same trail tackled by professional racers who competed for a slot in the upcoming South East Asian (SEA) Games. Just last month, OCR was announced as a new addition to the SEA Games to be held in Clark, Pampanga.

Some of the obstacles during the race were hurdles, taho carry, tirador, spider web, monkey bars, wall of tire, slip wall, commando climb, among others. Those who incurred penalties for not being able to perform an obstacle had to carry a 30-pound sand bag.

“OCR is an up and coming sport. It is gaining popularity in the Philippines. Allianz as a company uses sports to connect with communities. The Aetas from Villa Maria is one of the communities that Allianz here in the Philippines has chosen to support.  This is in line with our advocacy to promote social inclusion, one of the pillars of our company’s Corporate Citizenship Strategy,” Martinez added.