Championing The Filipino Spirit
Joy Rojas is a free lance writer and magazine editor. Her life’s biggest dream was to run accross the Philippines and held that dream in her life for many years.
Joy was a regular at the local road racing circuit from 1995 to 2002. She was one of the Pilippines top ten female finishers of the prestigious 42K run. Her participation in the 40-day 1196 kilometer Visayas leg of the TransPhilippines inspired her to participate in long, multi-day runs. Hence, in 2005 she was able to run 2000 kilometers from Davao City to Pagudpud, making her the first woman to cross the Philippines.
The experience was a dream come true for Joy and she rejoiced to her heart’s content her success in spite of the fact that the occasion was devoid of shouts and cheers for her victory. There were no flowers nor any gift for her except for a house plant that the members of her team gave her. It is said that the plant still remains in her home until this writing.
After achieving the Hakbang Pangarap in the Philippines, she realized that she wanted to join more races. She knew that she will encounter many problems and roadblocks in her desire, but she decided to pursue her dream. And today, she is set to run from Californiai to New York via Takbong Pangarap, a Trans- USA run set in May, 2009.
Joy and her team composed of trainer Mateo Macabe and project coordinator Chuck Crisanto are set to leave two weeks before May 11, a historic date for Joy as she’s about to turn 44. During the Takbong Pangarap, she is scheduled to visit to Filipino communities along the route to encourage the rest of them to share their own dreams, an activity that gets people to think about their personal goals in life.
Joy has never been to the US so this is a big adventure for her in so many ways. She is very excited she will be able to see the twelve states on her route and most especially New York.
Another component of the project is to raise funds for two important organizations in Joy and running buddy turned trainer Mateo: the Social Services Division of the Philippine Heart Center and the Anti-TB Program of the Inner Wheel Club of Quezon City district 378, covering poor communities in 10 barangays.
Last year, Mateo was rushed to the Philippine Heart Center and had open-heart surgery. It was a life and death situation but with so much faith, Mateo survived and remained part of the team as the pacer-navigator. He will run and bike with Joy as she crosses the US. Meanwhile, Joy is a TB survivor and she knows that there are still many Filipinos suffering, not only the horrendous cost of medication but the long duration of treatment as well.
The two things though that she would like to accomplish from this project are: (1) to raise some money for the chosen beneficiaries and (2) to reach New York running.
From Manila Bulletin
A native of Cavinti, Lucila C. Oblena spent all her working years as an educator, beginning as a classroom teacher in 1944, then a Guidance Counselor and retired as a school Principal. She is also the founder of CLOTA (Cavinti Laguna Overseas Teachers Association). She is the Editor of Tipakan.com (Cavinti Diaspora).
