Run 4 Philippines. 2,500 participants ran through the streets of Madrid to help raise funds for the repair and rehabilitation of schools damaged by typhoon Yolanda.Around 2,500 runners joined “Run for the Philippines,” a marathon organized by a Madrid-based non-government organization last month to raise funds for the repair and rehabilitation of classrooms in areas devastated by super typhoon Yolanda in Northern Cebu.Fundación Solventia (Solventia Foundation), whose mission is to create and develop better and equal opportunities in the society for the children and the youth, has pledged the fundraising activity proceeds worth €21,000 to Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. 

The initial plan is to allocate the amount for the repair of Anonang Sur Elementary School in Bogo City, which has a total population of 323 students. Some of the school’s classrooms have collapsed and are now totally unusable. Students had to hold classes in damaged classrooms with recycled tarpaulins as temporary roofing.

Target date to commence repair and rehabilitation of five damaged classrooms in the said school is on the last week of March.

“We would love to be [on that school] with the Aboitiz Foundation. It is an honor for us to be a part, as little as this might be, of such an incredible effort of solidarity as the Aboitiz does for the Philippines day by day,” said Solventia Foundation Director Javier Iturralde Lind.

“All the best from us in Madrid. We have a place for your country in our hearts in such times of difficulty,” he added.

The event, which was jointly organized with the Municipal Board of Fuencarral-El Pardo, was attended by noted Spain-based athletes such as long distance Olympics runner Chema Martinez, cyclist Carlos Abella, and runner Enrique Alvarez.

“Run for the Philippines” featured five- and 10-kilometer runs through the streets of Madrid. Present during the awarding ceremony were Philippine Ambassador to Spain Carlos C. Salinas, Fuencarral Counselor Jose Antonio Gonzales, Solventia Foundation President Conrado Truan, and La Vaguada Commercial Center Director Sebastian Herrero.

The Aboitiz Group is set to repair around 130 classrooms and build 70 new ones in 28 schools in Bogo City and San Remigio in Northern Cebu starting March. This will benefit some 13,000 students who had to continue holding classes on dilapidated classrooms, some without even having roofs.

The Group has allocated P140 million to the school rehabilitation project. This amount is part of the P203 million it raised last year through various donations from its business units, Aboitiz family members and their friends from all over the world, private organizations and individuals who donated through U-Share.