The De La Salle Brothers of the Philippines held their first event for 2019 in Vermosa Estate, Imus, Cavite on January 27 with the race titled TakBro 2019. In partnership with Pinoy Aspiring Runners, the event aimed to attract both the Lasallian and non-Lasallian communities for a 3-5-10-kilometer fun run in order to raise funds for the development of the teachers of St. Joseph School-La Salle, Andres Soriano Memorial College, and John Bosco College.
TakBro 2019 Chairman Br. Cliff Sy FSC welcomed the audience, stating that “As we [celebrated] the Catholic Teachers’ Day yesterday, I think it’s benefitting to give back to these teachers who are extremely hardworking, dedicated, and passionate with what they are doing.”
One La Salle
DLSU Chancellor Br. Bernard Oca FSC remarked that the participants of the event were from varying ages, nationalities, and even Lasallian schools, praising how the event was able to unite different communities in contributing for a special cause.
Br. Ranier Guillergan FSC, Head of the Vocations Ministry Office of De La Salle Lipa, also mentioned how heartwarming it was to see that, despite the distance of the different La Salle schools, students and their families, as well as faculty, were still able to take part in the event.
“It’s really a show of how [the] La Salle community in the Philippines is really one, especially [since] this event was really co-organized with the different schools. It’s not only one school; it’s all of the schools of La Salle that are willing to reach out to help each other—to show how strong our bond is,” Guillergan expressed.
When asked about the work put into organizing the event, Guilleran expressed satisfaction, stating, “It was worth it—working with other students, working with different people from other La Salle schools, and also the support of the Brothers that was given to us.” As a Lasallian Brother, he added that the work he saw from the students and organizers “really is humbling.”
From the finishers
Carlito Fantilaga was able to secure first place in the males portion of the 10-kilometer run. Alfonso Enriquez and Radin Ascura followed shortly after him, with the former finishing in about 40 minutes, and the latter at 43 minutes. The females 10-kilometer run, meanwhile, was finished first by Crystel Carandang, with Anna Bersamin and Rikka Trinos as second and third place, respectively.
For the males 5-kilometer run, Lloyd Prado won first place, followed by Christian Tagalog and Jacob Blanch. Samantha Cañeba, Michelle Honorica, and Bella Garrido were the top three for the females portion of the 5-kilometer event.
“Masaya po kasi sunud-sunod yung nakaraang laban ko na talo ako, kaya ngayon dito, bumawi ako [at] nanalo ako dito sa TakBro,” Tagalog stated.
(It was fun because I lost in the previous competitions I entered in, which is why I tried to bounce back here [and] won in TakBro.)
Sleech Bermundo of the 3-kilometer males run was able to reach the finish line first. Vince Mercado and John De Leoz of the same category followed shortly after. Meanwhile, the top three for the 3-kilometer females run were Samantha Mojica, Claudia Luhan, and Martha Malabanan.
The participants of the race did not only include students from Lasallian schools, but also faculty members. Larry Coladilla, an associate professor from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, admitted that TakBro 2019 was his first fun run. “I was really excited. My feeling right now is overwhelming,” he expressed. Despite being his first attempt at it, he was able to secure a place among the top 10 of the 5-kilometer males run.
Students from the Manila Campus were also able to attend the race, such as the likes of Lance Orsos (I, ECE2), who shared that finishing the 3-kilometer race “felt really good” as an early morning run. According to him, the event was able to meet his expectations, and that he further enjoyed it as it gave him the opportunity to run alongside his friends.
Br. Martin Sellner FSC, one of the Brothers who participated in the fun run, also shared his experiences during and after the fun run. “It was fun to be with all the people that I know, and friends of the schools that I’m working in, as well as others. And it’s for a great cause—and that was the best part,” he shared.
