The Art of Changemaking

This year’s Independence Day celebrations will be made even more special by an event that challenges traditional concepts of recycling, architecture, and education, breaking free of the attitude that “things can’t be done because this is the way we do things.”

Well, it’s time to do things a little bit differently.

On June 13, MyShelter Foundation, spearheaded by celebrity-social entrepreneur Illac Diaz and supported by the Department of Education,  the City of Taguig, Pepsi, Insular Life and Cecon, will stage a one-of-kind run-for-a-cause dubbed The Bottle School Run. It’s a marathon that aims to raise funds–and bottles–to replace and rebuild a damaged school in Taguig using “a ground-breaking architectural model” that uses soda PET bottles as the main building material.

Walls made primarily of soda PET bottles | Photo by Sebastiao Moia

The finished product: Bottle School | Photo by Sebastiao Moia

According to press materials provided by MyShelter Foundation, “The Bottle School Run is a distinctive race for seasoned and beginner runners alike, as it provides them an opportunity to become advocate runners who could champion an honest cause, a solution that can change the world.”

“It sets a symbolic backdrop where the chase of each participant runners for individual personal record enables beneficiary children chase their dream of obtaining education.”

Here are registration details for the Bottle School Run:

• Registration period: May 29, Saturday to June 11, Friday
• Registration centers:
  • Planet Sports Trinoma (1pm to 8pm)
  • Planet Sports Alabang (1pm to 8pm)
  • Planet Sports Glorietta (1pm to 8pm)
  • Taguig City – Fort Bonifacio Satellite Office, 3rd Flr, Market! Market! (9am to 5pm)
• Distance categories: 3k, 5k, and 10k
• Registration fees: P200 for 3k, and P300 for 5k and 10k
• All participating runners are requested to bring two bottles with a 1.5 or 2 liter size of any soda brand on race day.
  
• Gunstart times: JUNE 13, SUNDAY, 5:30am (10k), 5:45am (5k), and 6:00am (3k).

For inquiries, email thebottleschoolrun@gmail.com or contact Liza Fumar (co-lead, The Bottle School Run) at (0927) 284 5436 or Edward Kho (Race Director) (0915) 9990187.

So, who’s in?

*Music and live drumming for the Bottle School Run video was performed by Paul Zialcita and the Aquadrummerz from the Tondo Futkal program.