Written by the Web Team

 

Two of the country’s leading runners dominated the Run for Rice, an advocacy run recently organized by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) to cap the celebration of the National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM).

Mercedita Manipol-Fetalvero, Philippine’s unrivaled 10K queen, and Army Duty Sergeant Alquin Bolivar clinched the women’s and men’s top medal in the 10K run covering the Quirino Grandstand and Roxas Blvd in Manila. The veteran runners also ruled the Laguna Qualifying Leg of the 35th National Milo Marathon in September.

Manipol-Fetalvero, who never lost a 10K race in the country since 1998, bagged a bronze medal during this year’s Southeast Asian Games. In 2005, she garnered gold in the said international competition.

“[I’m now more aware of the importance of not wasting rice]. To help save rice, I will only cook what my family and I can eat,  will not cook or burn rice, and will recycle leftover rice into other dishes. Also, I will eat equally nutritious foods as substitute for race,” the current assistant coach of the University of the East track and field team said.

On the other hand, Bolivar, sixth placer in the 2009 National Milo Marathon finals, recently received bronze in the Asian Army Half-Marathon in Singapore last September.

Topping the advocacy run in the 5K finish were Ferdinand Corpuz in the male category and Ailene Tolentino in the female match. Meanwhile, Michael Bacong and Josephine Mendoza ruled in the 3k route.

In his opening message, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim encouraged runners to conserve rice for the country to provide enough food for the Filipinos.

In Southern Negros, meanwhile, the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon, a finalist in the 2009 Anvil Awards for promoting a wellness lifestyle among the city’s residents, kicked-off the Dumaguete City’s NRAM celebration.

Winners in the 42.195K race received sacks and bags of rice from the Foundation University’s “share-a-cup-of-rice” activity, in which every Monday of the week, students bring cups of rice to be pooled and packed into bags.

Spearheaded by the Foundation University and supported by the Asia Rice Foundation and PhilRice, the event in Dumaguete also featured Rice is Life cooking competition, launching of the Visayan version of the children’s book Gabby Ghas, and reciting of Ayaw mag-usik-usik ug kan-on, the Visayan version of Save Rice, Save Lives pledge.

Thanks for rating this! Now tell the world how you feel - .
How does this post make you feel?
  • Excited
  • Fascinated
  • Amused
  • Bored
  • Sad
  • Angry

Leave a Reply


Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is a government corporate entity attached to the Department of Agriculture created through Executive Order 1061 on 5 November 1985 (as amended) to help develop high-yielding and cost-reducing technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

Learn More

Philippine Rice Research Institute