Thousands of runners of various shapes, sizes, color and age, joined the 2nd Integrity Run this May 6, 2012 at the Bonifacio Global City. This fun run against corruption is an annual endeavor of the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the European Chamber of Commerce of Philippines (ECCP). It is part of the Integrity Initiative which is a private sector-led campaign that aims to promote common ethical standards among various sectors of society. It operates on the principle of inclusion and collective action.
I joined this fun run together with nine officers and employees of First Balfour: Albert Ignacio and wife Vanessa, Icar Hombrebueno, Lily Santamaria, Rose Abletes, Joy Castillo, Lyn Naldoza, Delsie Giray, and husband and wife Rose & Tato Dalawampu. Integrity is one of the seven Lopez Values and our running in the Integrity Run is an expression of our support for pushing this value and its importance in our business and society. The parent (Lopez Holdings Corporation) of our parent company (First Holdings) is a signatory to the Integrity Pledge. Our Chairman Emeritus Oscar Lopez will sure be happy to know that we joined this race for the 2nd time.
 |
| FB runners at the 5K start area |
 |
| Vanessa and Albert |
 |
| Lily, Icar and Rose |
 |
| Joy, Delsie, Rose and Lyn |
At the assembly area, prior to the start, I got to see several few Lopez group officers like Art De Guia of First Philec and Hyatt Basman of First Gen.
 |
| With Hyatt of First Gen |
Also, we ran in the Integrity Run to show solidarity with a handful of First Balfour clients and partners like Aboitiz Power and Siemens who are corporate sponsors of this fun run.
 |
| Beside clients’ tarpaulins |
I joined this fun run together with my 13-year old son, Marcel. A few weeks back, I got to see in CNN the ceremonies in Kew Gardens in London of the slogan for the 2012 Olympics. The motto is “Inspire a Generation.” To quote Sir Sebastian Coe (Chair of the London 2012 Organizing Committee) --- “I hope there is no surprise in the motto. It is the heartbeat, the very DNA of this organisation. It is also a rallying cry to the athletes to come to the UK and perform at their very best. The achievements of every one of those Olympians and Paralympians will create a symphony of inspiration. Our primary mission has been to use London 2012 to reach young people all around the world and connect them to sport.”
 |
| Sir Sebastian Coe, announcing the official motto of the London Olympics |
Inspired by this great man of running (Sir Seb is the gold medalist in the 1,500 kms for the Moscow and Los Angeles Olympics), I decided to spend more time engaging my son in sports. We enrolled him in a football summer camp for kids his age. And of course, I will continue to encourage his burgeoning like for running. Ever since his summer vacation started in late March, he has been badgering me about the next fun run which we will join. The Integrity Run is one of the several fun runs that we have decided to join in the coming weeks before the happy days of summer are over and school starts again.
Here are pics of my son running. A priceless bonding experience for me. For the record, Marcel’s finish time in the 2nd Integrity Run is 38 minutes, his fastest time in a 5-km fun run.
 |
| Marcel doing the Integrity Pledge prior to start of the race |
 |
| Marcel zooming downhill |
 |
| Inspiring the next generation to take up running...the younger, the better |
 |
| Father and son in a playful mood at the finish area |
A note on the handling of the Race Event. The Race Director is the grand old man of race organizers. For many years, he has handled the Milo and Yakult races. His intimate knowledge of fun runs and races showed in the professional way the Integrity Run was handled.
Several + :
1. Separate check-in gates for the various distances (3K, 5K, 10K, 15K)
2. Color coding of the running shirts for the various distances (white for 3K, red for 5K, blue for 10k, and yellow for 15K)
3. Adequate number of water stations (every 1.5 kms)
4. Visible kilometer markers
5. Adequate number of race marshals, especially at the finish line
 |
| Marcel at the 5km check-in gate |
In summary, the Integrity Run is a fun run I will look forward to be joining every year. This is because this fun run is handled in a professional way. And, more importantly, we believe in the anti-corruption ideals the Integrity Run and its organizers, MBC and ECCP, are pushing forward.
 |
| Happy and proud to represent First Balfour |
No comments:
Post a Comment