LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -- The provincial government of Pangasinan, together with the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) provincial federation, will hold a marathon for the youth on Dec. 20 as part of its efforts to eradicate illegal drugs in the province.
The marathon, dubbed as the PADACbo (Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council Takbo) 2019, is open to all SK officials, Katipunan ng Kabataan Members, youth organizations, marathon enthusiasts, athletes, students, and out-of-school youths.
“When we say youth, the age bracket is from 15 to 30 years old,” said SK provincial federation president Jerome Vic Espino during the Pangasinan in Action Forum on Tuesday.
He said the activity also includes a lecture about illegal drugs, which will be led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Ilocos regional office, as part of the demand reduction measures.
“This is to make awareness of illegal drugs and its ill-effects. We do not just address the supply side but also on the demand reduction as the young people are one of the most vulnerable sectors to this illegal drug use,” Espino said.
Col. Carlo Ressureccion, PADAC secretariat, and PADACbo chairman said they wanted the young people to realize the importance of sports and having good health to keep them away from the illegal substance.
The marathon will have three categories --the 5-kilometer open, 10k open, and 21k open.
Onsite registration will start at 2 a.m. on Dec. 20 and will close at exactly 4 a.m.
“The gun start for the 21-kilometer run will be at 4:30 a.m. while the gun start for the 10-kilometer run will follow at 4:45 am. The 5-kilometer run gun start will be fired at exactly 5 a.m.,” Ressureccion said.
The participants, he said, may also avail of free billeting space at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center, while provincial buses will also be provided for the participants which are stationed in Urdaneta City, Alaminos City, Dagupan City, and San Carlos City.
“The winners of the race will receive medals and cash prizes. The 21-k category winner will get PHP6, 000; PHP5,000 (second place); PHP4,000 (3rd place); 10-k category PHP4,000 (first place), PHP3,000 (second place), PHP2,000 (3rd place); 5-k category – PHP2, 000 (first place), PHP1,500 (second place), PHP1,000 (3rd place),” he added.
Meanwhile, the runners will also have the chance to win 10 mountain bikes, 10 cellphones, 20 basketballs, 20 volleyballs, 20 chess boards, and 100 t-shirts on the raffle promo. (PNA)
