"STRAIGHT Into Baguio's Heart", the sports and humanitarian feature of the city’s 105th charter anniversary, fired off at dawn Sunday as a public-private partnership project mayor Mauricio Domogan designed to build a support fund for kidney patients undergoing lifetime hemodialysis treatment in renal centers here and in Benguet.
The mayor, together with Rep. Nicasio Aliping Jr. and city councilor Elmer Datuin, co-chair of the founding anniversary executive committee were set to flag off at dawn some 1.000 runners under the three, five and 10-kilometer categories that begin and end at the Lake Drive of the Burnham Park.
As of last Friday afternoon, 12 donors contributed P9,250 to up the total to P176,380 deposited under Account Number 000940248018 of the Legarda Branch of Banco de Oro which will be jointly administered by the city, through the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center Dialysis Patients and Partners Association headed by Rev. Fr. Richard Justo.
The mayor, who ordered the inclusion of the race in the city charter anniversary calendar to give substance to the theme, “Sharing of Responsibilities, Duties and Resources for a Vibrant Baguio”, expressed hopes that more group and individual sponsors would come in to support the drive to ease the emotional and financial burden of dialysis patients.
Last week’s donors, including runners who paid beyond their registration fees, were Brother of St. Andrews (Cathedral of the Resurrection) – P2,000; United Vision Ministries – P2,000-; Partas Bus Lines – P1,500; Julia Baniaga – P1,000; Dr. Rey Aswat - P1,000 ( for water cups); Milo Viray – P500; Mile Connections Tavel and Tours – P100; Raffy Tallocoy – P50; Roslyn Anos – P750; Judith Iniguid – P150; and Nora and Aldrich Gayman – P200.
The Baguio Water Refillers Association headed by lawyer Zosimo Abratique will provide 20 five-gallons of water while Albert Ong of the Fine Pure Drinking Water, in coordination with the Fil-Chinese Community, delivered 10 cases of 350—ml. bottles.
The Baguio Boy Scout Council under scout executive Ramon Jacinto will man the race route intersections, in coordination with the city police, the Reserved Command of the Philippine Army, the Baguio-Benguet Public Information Civic Action Group and other support organizations, while operatives of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Emergency Medical Service under Dr. John Tinoyan will serve as a medical team.
Baguio girl and veteran race organizer Rosario “Che” Velasco-Alberto heads the management committee in alliance with Cool City technical team and RV-Mapping.
Inmates of the city jail set the community spirit by holding their own 3K version of the run last September 18, negotiating 60 laps around their courtyard and then turning over their P15,000 registration fee to Fr. Justo, through wardens Elvis Danglose and Mary Ann Tresmanio.
The fund, which was donated by former world karate champion Julian Chees, now the head of over 50 martial arts schools in Germany, was kept intact for the purpose as the prison runners opted to run in their yellow T-shirts , declining the official race uniform and number and foregoing with the top finishers’ prizes.
"Straight Baguio's Heart" was hatched last June during the induction of the BGHMDPPA, during which Baguio Rep. Nicasio Aliping Jr. set the tone by donating P100,000 now being used by dialysis patients as support to patients and their families.
In ordering the inclusion of the fun run, mayor Domogan said it "will set a tradition and culture of caring to mark future celebrations of the Charter Anniversary of Baguio, thereby serving as a rallying point to sustain a sense of community among this city’s residents, neighbors, friends and visitors who treasure fond memories of their visits to the Summer Capital of the Philippines."
"It will give substance to the 'Culture of Caring' that was the city's centennial theme in 2009, aside from providing a humanitarian dimension to the city's future charter anniversary celebrations," the mayor said.