ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Takbo para sa West Philippine Sea': How the PCG brings territorial issue closer to Filipino hearts

'Takbo para sa West Philippine Sea': How the PCG brings territorial issue closer to Filipino hearts

Published Apr 15, 2024 07:28 am
runrio.jpg
Runrio Inc. founder Rio Dela Cruz (second from left) speaks during a press briefing in Manila on April 15, 2024 for the "Takbo para sa West Philippine Sea" event. With him are (L-R) Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Director General Jose Torres Jr., National Task Force for WPS spokesperson Jonathan Malaya, and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela. (Courtesy of West Philippine Sea News - PCG / Facebook livestream)

As the situation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) heats up, the national government is in search of innovative ways to bring the issue closer to the hearts of the Filipinos so they could better understand it and its consequences.

And what better way to do this by running a marathon, right?

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) teamed up with Runrio Incorporated, an organization which conceptualizes premier races incorporated with notable advocacies, to promote physical fitness and camaraderie, and foster a deeper understanding of the importance of the WPS and safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity.

“The objective of this activity is to foster community through physical fitness while emphasizing the significance of the West Philippine Sea to the Filipinos,” Rio Dela Cruz, a running coach and founder of Runrio Inc., said in a press conference in Manila on Monday, April 15.

The fun run will be held in three locations: Manila on July 7, Cebu on August 4, and Cagayan de Oro on September 8. A fourth location is being considered in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte, according to Dela Cruz.

It will be categorized into four: a two kilometer (2K), 5K, 10K, and 16K run. In Dapitan, Dela Cruz said the 16K run will be stretched to a 21K marathon.

The initial number of participants was pegged at 3,000 but it may increase when the demand also goes higher. The race fee ranges from P1,000 to P1,500 and the proceeds will go to what Dela Cruz said is a “West Philippine Sea educational campaign.”

During the race, booths will be set up showcasing “historical facts and current geopolitical issues” which also “reflects the beauty and significance of the West Philippine Sea.”

The fun run is supported by the National Task Force for West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) and the state-run Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

“In light of the emergence of fake news, disinformation, information manipulation from various sources here and abroad, unfortunately these disinformation tactics are being used by apologists, propagandists, and trolls to confuse the public. This is why we need events like this because this is an educational campaign,” NTF-WPS spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said.

He said participants to the running event may be transformed into advocates and champions of the country in fighting for the WPS.

“We aim to enlightened the public and raise awareness and fight fake news, misinformation and disinformation, and information manipulation,” he added.

PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Terriela said the “transparency” campaign implemented by the organization in relation to China’s aggression and coercive activities in the WPS has been proven effective as it moved private individuals to take action and help the government in keeping the public informed about the situation in the disputed waters.

“I hope more companies will be following the way, and think of their own gimmicks to support our President [Marcos] in intensifying the advocacy for the West Philippine Sea,” Tarriela said.

Related Tags

West Philippine Sea (WPS) NTF-WPS PCG Takbo Para Sa West Philippine Sea
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.