Belles experiencies surten de Barcelona. That is Catalan for beautiful experiences come out of Barcelona.
For starters, who would forget the 1992 Olympic Games? The Barcelona Olympics is considered by many as one of the most beautiful in the modern times. Its opening ceremony is Olympic drama at is finest with an archer, a paralympic at that, starting the pomp and circumstance with a well-placed shot of a flaming arrow to the cauldron to lit the Olympic flames. Barcelona and the NBA Dream Team are forever linked as the games showcased the Greatest Team ever assembled: Jordan, Magic, Bird, Sir Charles, the Mailman, Ewing, Pippen, The Admiral. Need I say more. The beauty of it all was the way they integrated all their stardom and personalities to create a flawless display of teamwork.
Denizens of Barcelona are proponents of the beautiful game. Both Pau Gasol and Ricky Rubio played for FC Barcelona Basquet before jumping to the NBA where they showed to the world their beautiful brand of hoops. FC Barcelona is arguably one of the best football clubs in the world. It is famous for producing incredible players with jaw-dropping ability. Messi, Maradona, Ronaldinho, Xavi, Cruyff, Romario and Stoichkov to name a few of the countless stars from the FC Barcelona galaxy. The FC Barcelona - Real Madrid rivalry is soccer's equivalent to the NBA's Celtics-Lakers and PBA's Toyota-Crispa slugfests, only at a more classic and more global scale (average of 500 million viewers) .
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| The power of light (mostly natural) to bring to life the mesmerizing features of the Sagrada Familia truly makes its an aesthetically unique experience. |
In culture and arts and religion, there is the beautiful experience, unique to Barcelona, to be had of marveling first-hand at the La Sagrada. Attracting 3 million visitors per year, the Basilica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia is Barcelona's, if not of the whole of Spain, most iconic landmark. Construction started in 1882 for this psychedelic-overload structure and by 2015, it was estimated to be only about 70% complete. Latest forecasts peg completion by 2026 just in time for the centenary of the death of Antoni Gaudi, the mastermind of its iconic design. When completed, Gaudi's elaborate design will feature 18 towers dedicated to the 12 apostles, four evangelists, Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The experience will be breathless.
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| First exhibited in 1905 at the St. Louis Exposition (winning a gold medal), this masterpiece was painted by Felix Hidalgo in Barcelona. |
There is a beautiful presence of Filipinos in Barcelona. The Filipino community in Barcelona actually has a rich patriotic history. The La Solidaridad, the official newspaper of the Philippine Propaganda Movement, was first printed and circulated in Barcelona on Feb 15, 1889. It is indicative of the fact that there was a sizeable number of Filipino intellectuals residing in the principal city of Catalonia during the Rise of Spanish Liberalism in the Iberian Peninsula in the late 19th Century. Filipino greats like Felix Hidalgo, Marcelo H. del Pilar, and Graciano Lopez Jaena lived their fruitful careers and were buried in Barcelona. The Compania General de Tabacos de Filipinas, S.A., the Philippines' first private tobacco company and one of the world's most important enterprises in the late 19th Century, was founded in Barcelona in 1881 by a wealthy shipowning and financial family, the Marquises of Comillas.
Fast forward to the 21st Century and we have a vibrant Filipino community in Barcelona. A GMA News Online article in 2013 reported on 16,000 as the number of Filipinos living in Barcelona while a Philippine Star write up from the same year estimated 25,000 overseas Filipino workers in the region of Catalonia. There are doctors, nurses, engineers, seafarers, restaurant owners, beauty salon owners, and entrepreneurs, all making a positive contribution to the beautiful society of their adopted city. The GMA News report counted 12 to 15 different organizations of Filipinos formed by hometowns, faith communities and other commonalities.
One such commonality is the passion for running. And this is what lead to the formation of the Pinoy Runners Barcelona (PRB) . In an interview, made possible by the hard-working Rona of Pinoy Runners Global (PRG), its Barangay Kapitan Wilson Jessette Hernando had this to share:
"As of today, there are 43 members of PRB. We were founded last Dec 25, 2019. Nagsimula kami sa apat na miyembro: my friend Joel, his wife, my wife and me. After a memorable chat with Kap Jen Evangelista of PRG, overnight I immediately created a group chat for the Pinoy runners living here. And the day after, we were introduced to PRG. But we do not stop there. Our goal is to inspire the Filipino community here in Barcelona to live a healthy life."
As part of its Virtual Takbo series, the PRG has requested the PRB to host the run for the International Friendship Day scheduled for July 30 to Aug 2. Observed on July 30 of each year, the International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between people, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. To mark the International Day of Friendship the UN encourages governments, international organizations and civil society groups to hold events, activities and initiatives that contribute to the efforts of the international community towards promoting a dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation.
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| Kap Wilson flexing a pair of thumbs up during a marathon in Plaza Espana, Barcelona |
PRB accepted the responsibility of hosting. Kap Wilson expounded on why:
"When we were asked to host this event, we gladly accepted it. Simply because FRIENDSHIP is the strong foundation of our team. We motivate, push and challenge each other. We celebrate together our highs and support each other at our lows. This virtual takbo I guess is really meant for us, a celebration of our growing beautiful friendship. The official name is INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP DAY VIRTUAL RUN & WALK, wherein we can invite our friends to walk/run with them side by side or run/walk solo and dedicate it to our friends on social media. We opted for a run/walk because the friend we may be bringing might not be a runner. The friend could be our mom, dad, aunt, uncle, etc. It will be an easy pace. Kaya puwedeng puwede ang hakot Agimat. I encourage all members of Barangay Barcelona to invite friends and acquaintances to join us. Not necessarily a runner. It is our duty to inspire them and learn to love the sport."
Truly inspiring words from the leader of Barangay Barcelona. That lead the Bicolano Penguin to communicate with Kap Wilson's fellow runners in Barcelona to get their perspective on a few things. Here is the Q&A with a handful of beautiful comrades in sole from PRB:
1. Why did you join Pinoy Runners Barcelona?
Jane Rafanan (JR): Just the thought of meeting people with shared interests and being able to run with them as a group made me want to join the group.
Bernie de Chavez (BC): Actually sir I am living here in Barcelona for 8 years already with my family. I have a 9-year old daughter. 2013 I took up cycling here in Barcelona. Then, last Jan 2020, I saw the facebook page of Brgy Barcelona and it inspired me. I challenged myself to start in running. Feb 17, 2020 is my first day to start running. Kap Wilson, we follow each other in Strava and when he saw my run in Strava, he suggested that I join PRB. I told him that I am not ready to join because I am a beginner in running. He told me no problem.
Marvie Adonay (MA): I joined cause I find it really interesting and fun to do. Add on that is the physical exercise being done while enjoying social interaction with lots of friends and members of the club.
Betyl Noval (BN): Actually the wife of Kap Wilson is the one who motivates and push me to join races here in Barcelona. She keeps on encouraging me to do it and that's why I join the Pinoy Runners Barcelona. And with this group I found friends, actually not only friends, but a Family also. We help each other and motivate each other. As days and months that I know them all, we became close friends!!! All of us are like a Family. Not only for Running but also in day by day Living.
Edna Cordero (EC): Having friends or company while running is far better than running alone! Before joining Pinoy Runners Barcelona, I usually run solo. You could even make friends or in my case a family for life.
2. Are you running in the International Friendship Day Virtual Run & Walk? Why?
JR: Yes, Haven't decided on the distance yet but for sure I will run. Aside from this pandemic we are going through right now, some of my friends are in different parts of the globe thus making it impossible for us to meet up and celebrate the beautiful gift of friendship together so I thought of running as my way of honoring our friendship and dedicated every kilometer to them. I know in my heart that they will cheer me up and will encourage me when I can no longer move forward. This run is dedicated also to the friends I have made because of running.
BC: Yes I will run in that event and I already register 5kms and 10kms. I want to run in that event to meet more friends and to challenge also myself , to encourage also some of the Filipinos here in Barcelona to join our barangay.
MA: Well, I'm planning to do so. I mean, I'm still working on getting myself to do it. Also, I'm considering to run for 5kms and 10kms as well cause I'm finding it really suitable for my built. But more importantly, it is about building up 3 aspects of myself. First is strengthening my stamina (physical). Second is gaining self confidence (emotional). Third is making plans, tactics and self-discipline (mental).
BN: Yes, I will join. I will do the 5kms and 10kms! To encourage more friends to do running. Running helps a lot. Physically and even emotionally!!! It helps our Health.
EC: Yes I am joining and probably take the 10K run! Purpose...well, I think running with friends always make someone feels great, even if it's just for fun or maybe as another form of improving one's health.
3. In one word, describe your life in Barcelona.
JR: Colorful.
BC: Happy
MA: Awesome
BN: Awesome
EC: Fortunate
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| Betyl at the start of a race event in Barcelona. |
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| Jane after a run. In the background is the "Arenas." Used to be a venue for bullfights and boxing matches, it has been remodeled and is now a commercial center. |
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| Showing some hang time along Comte Borrell near Sant Antoni. Bernie shows runners can fly. |
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| Marvie standing tall at Plaza Europa, Barcelona. |
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| Edna joining a 10km run in Barcelona. |
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| For the PRB logo, the original concept (left) was made by the daughter of Jane. It was then polished by PRG's Kap Maner to come up with the final one (right). A work of art of family & friends. |
Inspiring to read and see the culture of friendship being imbued by both leader and members of Barangay Barcelona. There is no disconnect from top to bottom; bottom to top. What we have here is a unity in purpose of what their Pinoy Runners Barcelona is all about. What better way to make this known to fellow runners, Pinoy & all, around the globe than to host a global event that celebrates friendship in all of mankind.
Kudos to Pinoy Runners Barcelona. It is a barangay in the PRG nation best described by beautiful friendships.
Llarga vida a Barcelona bonica. Mabuhay ang Pinoy Runners Barcelona.
P.S. Que espereu, Runners? What you waiting for, Runners? Join the International Friendship Day Virtual Run & Walk by registering in the PRG portal (https://portal.pinoyrunners.org/). Your Agimats await.
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