Run for 10 movement launched

Education advocate Bayanihang Pampaaralan and its supporters gathered on Friday at a restaurant in Makati City for the launching of the "Run for 10", a social mobilization campaign to raise funds for the "The Entire Nation (TEN) Moves!" project, which aims to construct 10,000 classrooms all over the country.

Rapa Lopa, Executive Director of the group Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), revealed that "Run for 10" was conceptualized to raise awareness for the program, which was conceived following the call for help by the Department of Education (DepEd) for private support in addressing the lack of school buildings in the country's public education system.

According to Lopa, the simultaneous run will be held on January 13 next year at the Ayala Triangle Gardens and in Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Dipolog, Dumaguete, Legazpi, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zamboanga, and Zamboanga Sibugay.

Race distances for the Makati run are set at 2.5 km, 5 km, and 10 km distances with all registration fees going to the TEN Moves! project.

“Run for 10 is a way for us to significantly ramp up support and donations for TEN Moves!,”  Lopa explained. “Through this event, we hope to attract more and more Filipinos, especially the younger ones, to be part of our advocacy of helping build classrooms and a brighter future for schoolchildren.”

"We have yet to see the report of the status of classrooms from the areas savaged by Typhoon Pablo. We are sure, however, that there will be classrooms in these areas which are destroyed. Hopefully, we can be part in reconstruction of these school buildings," added Lopa.

Mario Deriquito, Senior Director of Ayala Foundation and one of the leaders of the TEN Moves!, said that the advocacy was able to construct about one-third of its target classrooms.

“Since we launched in October 2011, TEN Moves! and its mother campaign, Bayanihang Pampaaralan, have raised funding for nearly 3,000 classrooms,” Deriquito revealed.

“While our collective efforts to date have been commendable, we still have a long way to go in reaching our goal of 10,000 classrooms, and we are finding ways to reach our goal within two years since launching. Through Run for 10, we hope to be able to create more awareness and generate more anticipation for this cause.”

According to the advocates, "TEN Moves has raised P38 million, contributing to the donations and pledges received by its mother campaign, Bayanihang Pampaaralan, of nearly 3,000 classrooms. Of these, at least 1,126 classrooms have already been built, including a two-story, four-classroom building in Indahag National High School in Cagayan de Oro City."

Deriquito explained that based on the Department of Education's study, there exists a total shortage of 66,800 classrooms. However, the DepEd's budget can only cover construction of 56,000 classrooms. To address the shortage, DepEd has asked the private sector to help fund the remaining 10,000 classrooms.

A classroom cost about P600,000 to construct, Deriquito explained.

Bayanihang Pampaaralan is also encouraging individuals to be part of the program by donating P10 per day or a lump sum of P3,000. It is also asking people to solicit aid from friends and families to help finance the program.

Employers are also asked to help through corporate donations and by encouraging its employees to donate through salary deduction.

The registration fees for the races are,  P200 for 2.5 km, P400 for 5 km, and P500 for 10 km. To register, those interested may drop by The T-Shirt Project branches located at Glorietta, Trinoma, and Market! Market!. Registration starts on December 20, 2012. - AMD, GMA News