Baguio bracing for charter celeb run

By Ramon Dacawi 

A humanitarian touch will cap the city’s observance of its 105^th founding anniversary through “Straight Into Baguio’s Heart”, a three-bracket run on September 28 to establish a fund to lighten the load of hundreds of kidney failure patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment in various medical centers in Baguio and Benguet.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan has ordered the city’s sponsorship of the sports event to give meaning to the foundation day theme “Sharing Resources, Duties and Responsibilities for a Vibrant Baguio” and in keeping with the city’s centennial theme in 2009 – “Fostering a Culture of Caring”.

And so caring it will be as all of the proceeds, both from sponsorship and registration, will support renal patients who have to spend between P6,600 to P10,000 a week for their life-time dialysis and medications.

As of latest count, the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center alone serves 192 dialysis patients as of latest count. The figure excludes those undergoing regular treatment in other hospitals and dialysis centers here and in Benguet.

The mayor has written corporations, groups and individuals to support the community effort through donations and participation in the run bracketed into the three-, five- and ten-kilometer foot race that will fire off and end at the Burnham Park.

“We enjoin the community, including those from other parts of the BLISTT Area (La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay towns of Benguet) and the Cordillera to contribute to the success of this public-private partnership project,” the mayor said.

The fund to be raised will be jointly administered by the city and the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center Dialysis Patients and Partners Association and will be used for patients being served by dialysis centers in the city and in Benguet.

Recently, the mayor named city councilor Peter Fianza, City Administrator Carlos Canilao, BGHMCDPPA president, Fr. Richard Justo as co-chairmen of the fun run’s executive committee, with veteran race organizer Rosario “Che” Velasco-Alberto as race director.

“I know the importance of the purpose of this run because I had helped take care of dialysis patients,” Alberto said. He was referring to the late newsmen Jose “Peppot” Ilagan, former editor of the weekly Gold Ore, and Bulletin Today correspondent Isidoro Chammag.

People, groups and companies may course their sponsorship support through Banco de Oro’s Baguio-Legarda account number 000940248018.

 Among the first to respond was Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. which deposited P25,000 to the said account, as confirmed in a telefax message to Mayor Domogan by company administrative supervisor Linda Castillo.

An official receipt acknowledging the support will be issued, together with an acknowledgement letter of gratitude to the firm based in Mankayan, Benguet.

Earlier, parishioners of St. Nicholas Church at Brent School deposited P5,000 to the account, as gesture of their gratitude for having been guided through the city’s “Eco-walk” program at the Busol Watershed. This was followed by P1,000 support each from Paladin Hotel and Holywood Hotel.

Registration forms will be available in the following areas starting September 2: Public Information Office and Sports Office at the city hall, Burnham Park Swimming Pool Area, main entrance of the Baguio Gen. Hospital; Pacdal Barangay Hall (Sundaysa), La Trinidad Municipal Hall, Laperal Building entrance, Outdoor Kinetix at the Burnham Park.

Registration fees are pegged at P150 for the 3K; P250 for the 5K and P350 for the 10 K.

In his appeal for support, mayor Domogan said the run will “set a tradition and culture of caring that will mark future clebratiosn of the Charter Anniversary of Baguio, thereby serving as a rallying point to sustain a sense of community among the city’s residents, neighbors, friends and sisters who treasure fond memories of their visits to the Summer Capital of the Philippines”.