Cebu as running capital project gets rolling

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/sports/2015/08/21/cebu-running-capital-project-gets-rolling-425981
• Friday, August 21, 2015

By Richiel S. Chavez

THE Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) partnered with the mountain barangays to help each other achieve the goal of making the Cebu City mountains the 'Running Capital of the Philippines'.

CCSC is bringing the grassroots program to other mountain barangays and plan to identify a practice venue for these kids in the mountain areas.

CCSC chairman Edward Hayco met with grassroots coach John Philip Dueñas, Southeast Asian (SEA) Games marathon silver medalist Mary Joy Tabal, Department of Education (DepEd) sports coordinator Zenaida Gocotano, Cambinocot barangay captain Reynaldo Lauron, former Agsungot barangay captain Jong Alcover, CCSC's commissioner Lorenzo “Chao” Sy and executive director Mark Alino early this month to put the plans into motion.

“Jong (Alcover) and Rey (Lauron) together with Dueñas and Tabal explored the mountains and identify the potential sites for the expanded program. They also visited as many public school principals to join and send their kids to the weekend training,” Hayco said. “Every Saturday at 8 a.m. coach Philip (Dueñas) and Joy (Tabal) will personally train the trainers and student-athletes.”

Tabal said that on their visit to the mountain barangays, they spotted a possible training venue for the children, which is around Taptap.

“If approved, this will become a mini-track oval and a training area for the children in the mountains,” she said.

Dueñas said that after starting the program in Guba Elementary School, they are looking to bring the program to Taptap Elementary School or Sirao Elementary School.

Every last Saturday of the month, the top runners will be brought to the city for further training and coaching.

The CCSC grassroots program for running started six months ago in Barangay Guba and it produced prospect runners who won local races like the Flame It! Burger Run, Alaska Fun Run and DYAB Kapamilya Run.

The CCSC grassroots program for running aims to search for athletes who can haul medals in the sporting meets like the Palarong Pambansa, and to provide path for underprivileged mountain barangay students to avail of athletic scholarship through running and to put Cebu mountain Barangay as the running capital of the Philippines.

The CCSC grassroots program is also supported by Philippine Sports Commission led by chairman Richie Garcia.