500 Aurora runners Join Takbo para sa Inang Kalikasan Fun Run

MARIA AURORA, Aurora, August 24, 2012-The two (2) campuses of Lyceum of the East in Aurora, in cooperation with the 48^th Infantry “Guardians” Battalion, Philippine Army, successfully held the “Takbo para sa Inang Kalikasan, One Spirit, One Advocay, One Goal…A sustainable National Greening Program (NGP) through Gender and Development (GAD) Principles and Initiatives” at the Lyceum of the East-Aurora Campus in Brgy. Florida, Maria Aurora last August 20, 2012.

The recent run-for-a-cause event was participated by the army, National Statistics Office, PNP Maria Aurora, private sectors and other participants registered for the fun run, which also opened the 1^st “SAYAWIT” competition for the National Service Training Program (NSTP) student of both colleges.

“This afternoon’s affair is three folds: first, republic act 9729 otherwise known as the Philippine climate change, second, republic act 9512, otherwise known as the National Greening Program, third, Republic Act no. 9710, otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Women,” said Mr. Jason Francisco V. de Asis, Program Director of the event, saying that the Significance of these republic acts are greatly affect our ways of life.

He said that it would be observed that climate change has brought us in quandary, when there should be rain, there is no rain, when there should be sunshine, it rains, comparing the temperament of women which is changeable.

“The Magna Carta for women’s rights which was authored by Senator Loren Legarda provides the necessary mechanisms to enforce and guarantee the realization of women’s rights as public servant; public offices are no longer dominated by men. We have women engineers, architects, mechanics, electricians, soldiers. I just fear that someday we might have women loggers or miners,” de Asis said while smiling.

He added that the Lyceum of the East is aware of the program and very receptive to this call of the government; hence, the management assigned the task to the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Department to implement the program.

“It is also the college desire to give fullest effort to support environmental awareness under Republic Act 9512, an act to promote environmental awareness through environmental education under the program wherein the Lyceum of the East, Inc. formulated a program and activity for the National Greening Program to foster patriotism and nationalism,” he furthered.

The runners converged at the Lyceum of the East Aurora Campus Saturday afternoon and took off for their respective three kilometer (3K), five-kilometer (5K) and 7K routes at the signal of the 48^th IB CMO Chief Captain Rozzel Ticar and Mr. de Asis, the NSTP Program head of the two (2) campuses and concurrent Dean of BS Entrepreneurship.

Among the groups who participated in the event were soldiers from the 48^th (Guardians) Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, officers from the Maria Aurora Police Office, government employees, officials and staff from the National Statistics Office, Department of Health, volunteer health workers and students from the towns of Baler, San Luis, Dipaculao and Maria Aurora, as well as the barangay and provincial officials. (Ronald Madrid Leander-GMA7)