Weekend run brings message of gender equality, inclusivity to mark Intl Women's Month
Women from all walks of life, of all shapes, color, age, and status --- mothers, grandmothers, sisters, celebrities, first-timers, seasoned pros, cancer survivors, PWDs, transwomen --- came together at the SM Mall of Asia complex on March 10 for Women's Run Ph, a fitness event meant to celebrate and empower women through running.
The fun run, more than anything, was a show of strength and solidarity, a reminder for everyone that when women band together to support one another, barriers are broken and amazing things happen.
Andrea Estrella, a visually impaired national athlete in obstacle course racing, participated in the fun run not only to boost her self-confidence but also to set a good example to the public.
"Super laki po ng impact. As a woman, now is the time na kailangan nating palakasin ang power ng women," said Andrea, who won a bronze and a silver medal at last year's Obstacle Course Relay World Championships in Belgium. "Ang stereotype kasi ng mga tao tungkol sa women, mahina o mababa, di ba?"
Despite her condition, visually-impaired athlete Andrea Estrella finished her run strong, with the guidance of her coach.
The same passion runs in endurance cyclist, runner, and social media personality Thysz Estrada. As a trans Pinay, Thysz ran to prove to everyone that transwomen, like everybody else, deserve to have a place and a voice in society.
"This run means so much for me, because this says so much about inclusion," said Thysz, who is an ambassador PANTAY, or Philippines Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders, a youth-led lobbying movement advocating for gender-transformative legislation.
"Kaming transwomen, hindi naman lagi kaming included, so ito talaga, they sought us and asked 'sumali kayo,' and they provided a safe space for transwomen. It's really a good message of inclusion and gender diversity. I felt welcome and I know that my participation here is important for visibility."
Endurance cyclist and trans rights advocate Thysz Estrada proudly ran alongside 76-year-old Rosalinda Ogsimer, the oldest female runner in the Philippines.
No one was prouder of what the event has accomplished that day than the people behind the country's leading health, wellness and beauty retailer Watsons Philippines, one of the partners who made the weekend run possible.
"This is not the first time that we held a fun run. Last year, we had a health and wellness and beauty run in Manila and Cebu," said Sharon Decapia, the SAVP for Marketing, PR & Sustainability of Watsons Philippines during her interview with the media.
"We want to encourage and inspire everyone, all genders, to take charge and be proactive in taking care of their health. Plus, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to deliver the message of gender equality and inclusivity na napakagandang message."
Maritess Nocyao (top), the gold medalist at the 2023 South East Asian Games and 2nd place in the Spartan Race's 2023 Elite Series, and cancer survivor April Perreras ran with so much joy and pride.
What made this year's run different from the previous year's edition was the bigger turnout of runners and participating brands.
Sharon said, "Ang maganda dito, mas dumami ang benefits for the runners. In terms of freebies, nag-scale up. As you can see, parang naka-jackpot yung mga tao sa freebies kasi ang dami nilang nakuha talaga. Last year's run had an equally good turnout. Pero mas special lang talaga ito, kasi may advocacy siyang nirerepresent, which is for women. It's more meaningful now, because we really want to make women to be healthy, to be beautiful, and to be confident."
Standing and smiling proudly for the photographers, runners Rosalinda Ogsimer, April Perreras, Andrea Estrella, Maritess Nocyao and Thysz Estrada are the five empowered women who represent today's Filipina.
Who run the world? Girls! Sparkle artists Rain Matienzo, Shuvee Etrata, and Zonia Mejia did not want to miss the chance to participate in such a meaningful event. Angela Alarcon (not in photo) also ran that day.
Rain Matienzo, despite having a hosting gig the previous night, woke up early so she could run her first 10K. She had been preparing for the run for weeks, because she really wanted to be part of something historic and significant.
Shuvee Etrata, who's always loved the outdoors, proudly held up her finisher's medal.
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