GUMASA, Glan—The Sarangani Bay Festival—an annual event which promotes Sarangani as an ecotourism hub—saw Smart Communications (Smart) hosting a series of events in partnership with the province of Sarangani.
Smart supported the biggest summer beach festival in southern Mindanao by staging a triathlon course and a coastal cleanup to generate public awareness on the need to protect and preserve the rich marine resources of the province.
The pristine waters and coastal terrain of Glan was once more the venue to the second SarBay Swim-Bike-Run for the Environment, which was participated in by Filipino and foreign athletes on May 16. Michael Murphy, an Australian triathlete who represented the Philippine Red Cross, expressed how challenging the race was after taking the lead in the Olympic category, clocking just two hours and 22 minutes.
“The race was unbelievable. It was my first time here in SarBay [triathlon], and it blew my expectations,” Murphy said. “It was one of the toughest courses I have ever been in a bike-and-run. But what kept me going were the cheers of the children and the crowd…it’s like an entire community is rooting for you.”
Murphy, an advocate for the environment, said he is planning to start a training camp in Sarangani Bay to prepare himself for next year’s triathlon event.
Other triathletes participated in the standard or Olympic categories, including a 1.5-kilometer (km) swim, 40-km bike ride and 10-km run, for a total of 51.5 kms.
Thirty-six triathletes participated, including Lea Coline Langit, who was first in the overall standard female category.
Beginners joined in the Sprint category, which was half the distance of the Olympic category. Young triathletes dominated the Sprint category, with Kimi Jade Wee, 16, and Gennex Rey Combatir, 15, both from the Gensan Red Sea Lions, finishing first and second, respectively.
Part of the proceeds from the triathlon event will go to the turtle hatchery in the town of Maasim. The triathlon was originally conceived as a “Bike for the Environment,” as the telecommunications firm has been doing to boost public awareness in its other environmental advocacies, said Nova Concepcion, senior manager and head of environment and disaster-preparedness programs of Smart Public Affairs.
“Smart is known for innovation. The SarBay Fest triathlon is an innovative way of amplifying public support for an environmental cause like preserving the coastal waters of Sarangani Bay as a marine habitat. Through initiatives like this, we have raised funds to support a specific advocacy. This time, we will help ensure that the turtle hatchery in Maasim is protected,” Concepcion said.
Around 10,000 fingerlings of bangus were also released during the coastal cleanup, led by Smart on May 17. Donated by the Alcantara Foundation, the fingerlings were released to replenish the supply of bangus in the area. Apart from tuna, Sarangani is also known for its bangus, and the Alcantaras are one of its bigger producers in the area.
Smart has embraced its protection and conservation as part of its corporate social responsibility. Not only has it planted a million trees and mangroves in various adopted upland and coastal sites all over the country, it has also integrated green merchandising in its operations, making use of eco-friendly materials for its out-of-home merchandising materials.
It is also one of the main proponents of the Marikina Watershed Initiative, which pushes for the rehabilitation, reforestation and protection of the Upper Marikina River Basin, which will prevent severe flooding in Metro Manila and other low-lying areas.