The Run for the Pasig River Team just recently announced that the original plan of having an RFID for each participant of this year’s Run for Pasig River 2011 will no longer push though, instead they have decided to add the funds for the RFID’s to the rehabilitation program of the River. Check out the complete announcement in the press release below.
Dear Participants,
The race committee of this year’s “11.20.2011 Run for the Pasig River” has decided to forego the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) due to cost and reliability concerns.
Although RFIDs have been used in many races in the Philippines, there is no race or equipment available in the country that can handle the magnitude of this advocacy run. The amount of equipment required to accurately count all the expected runners posed many technical concerns. Actually, in the beginning of the year, we considered flying in equipment from abroad but it would cost ten (10) million pesos. Using the technology available in the country with minimal importation, though, would still cost four (4) million pesos.
The Board of Trustees felt it is money better spent if we instead use it for the rehabilitation of Estero de San Miguel and the other esteros which drain directly into the Pasig River. We have rehabilitated Estero de Paco; we can do it in the 46 other tributaries of the Pasig River. (To view before and current photos of Estero de Paco, please click this link: https://on.fb.me/esterodepaco)
For a precise tally of the runners, an independent auditing firm–SyCip, Gorres and Velayo (SGV)–will manage a team of 360 counters in chutes near the finish line to make sure you are counted as part of the effort to help save the Pasig River.
We truly hope you understand our decision on this matter. And remember: this is an advocacy fun run, not a race! Let’s all go out there to have fun running for the Pasig River!
Thank you and see you on 11.20.2011!
Sincerely,
Run for the Pasig River Team
View Complete Event Details -> Click Here
if it’s for a good cause, i guess that won’t be a big problem. go go go!
yes, agree. rather than spend extra for the timing chip, much better forward the funds straight to the project.
first time kong sasali sa epic event na ito.
tama! mahal din kc ang RFID… tska after ng run d nyo na rin nmn magagamit un…
So, it’s manual counting by SGV…ang saya! But sayang.. I really want to join if not for a prior commitment! Di bale, next year =D
A very commendable decision for the organizers. Mostly only those seasoned runners are very much conscious of their finishing time, but I would surmise that they have timing watches to check it, aside from the digital clock on the finish line. But for other participants who will just participate as part of school requirement, sponsors from offices, who will just present themselves for the event, I think there’s not much necessity for RFID. In fact, they don’t even know it. So ok lang na wala.
on the downside…’di na masyado reliable ang magiging result. ang alam ko kasi (correct me if i’m wrong) kailangan mag cross ng start and finish line para ma-count ang isang runner. yung experience namin last year, marami ‘di nag umpisa sa start line. bumaba na lang ng bus/sasakyan tapos diretso na ng finish line (last year, dalawa ang finish line so ‘di ko alam kung paano nila nabilang yung number of finishers). kaya hanggang ngayon, doubtful pa rin talaga ako sa intentions ng organizer…anyway, happy and safe running to all those who will join this event. :)
in my opinion, kung gusto talaga makamura ng organizers, alisin na nila yung mga artista at mga banda na kinukuha nila “for entertaiment purposes” unless they are there for free. rfid is used not only to track speed of racers but also to track the NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS who joined the event. rfid is also used precisely to eliminate human factor with regards to accuracy of results (again, not only the time but also the number of racers). sana lang na-train properly yung team of 360 counters and ma-sweldohan sila properly for the work na gagawin nila.
also, the organizers should tell the public kung magkano, saan at paano ginastos yung fund na na-raise nila from the event.
last year, more than 20,000,000 ang gross nila. sana sabihin nila kung magkano talaga ginastos nila for the estero de paco from the 20,000,000++ gross nila (nakita ko estero de psco personally and not just from the pics – in maganda naman talaga ginawa nla)
I totally agree with tau_runnr.
I thought the want to beat last year’s record? How would they count that without the RFID? Will guiness allow it?
Also, no baggage area, and bring your own hydration?
Kahit ilang beses pa tayo tumakbo at makabreak ng record sa guinness pero kung wala pa ring disiplina ang mga tao at nariyan pa rin sa tabi ng ilog ang mga gahaman na factory na yan hindi pa rin mababago ang kalagayan ng ilog pasig. Taon taon lang gagamiting pang-front ng mga organizer yang ilog pasig para magpayaman…
@Tau Runner: Brod, yung timekeepers na ngayon auditors ng Sycip, Gorres & Velayo, the biggest auditig firm in the Philippines. Posible na volunteers ang mga ito or at a lesser cost ang bayad sa kanila compared to the P4 M they’re going to spend in RFID. Ang SGV kasi ang auditing firm ng ABS-CBN.
Pls., remember din na, purely ang proceeds nito are allotted for the eco-program ng ABS-CBN. At yung mga artista, tingin ko di na gaanong kalaki ang binayad (kung meron man) ang talent fee ng mga yun, kasi talent na ng ABS-CBN sila. Do you think, di kayang ipakiusap ng ABS-CBN management sa mga talents nila na suportahan yung takbuhang ito kung si Boss Gabby Lopez na ang nag-spearhead ng project na ito?
As regards to tell the public kung saan at kung paano ginastos ang proceeds noon. Diba sabi mo nga, ikaw pa nakasaksi, iquote kita “(nakita ko estero de psco personally and not just from the pics – in maganda naman talaga ginawa nla)”. Wala silang obligasyon na ibreakdown sa public yung expenses, pero sa yaman ng ABS-CBN, yung P20 million na pinapa-account mo, di na nila siguro ibubulsa pa iyon, maning-mani yung amount, bro. Their assets run in billions of pesos+their share in Meralco+their shares in Firs Phil Holdings.
What’s their point in holding a public run like this? To create noise to make the public aware that every sector of the society: Students, employees, upper-middle-lower class could do their part in reviving and saving the Pasig River.
Sa tanong naman na paano masasabi na yung 116,000 plus last year ay mahihigitan kung walang RFID na bibilang? Masasagot yan na yung 116,000 runners na stat na na-acknowledge ng Guinness ay base rin lang sa estimation ng SGV. It was a result of estimation done thru an educated calculation. Basta malalaking auditing firms gaya ng SGV, Punongbayan & Araullo & other huge firms, magtiwala ka na credible yan. Di magtataya ng pangalan yan kung malalagay ang propesyon nila sa kuwestionableng sitwasyon.
dapat wag na run for ilog pasig, walk for ilog pasig na lng… kung dati 116,000 alay lakad na ang nangyari maslalo na kung 150,000
i’m guessing they won’t meet the target participants… sana mali ako.
naku… may progress ba last year?? di naman kasi lahat ng sumali last year runners… walkers hehehe… tapos may pang 21km dun ata sa mga celebrities… pass..
lagi na lang tayong nag-i invest sa pag-babago ng ilog pasig,gastos pero walang progress,yung mga fishpan sa laguna lake yun ang isang matinding nag-pa parumi ng ilog,yung mga feeds na pinaka-kain sa isda ang nag-pa pabaho ng ilog,kung talagang kalinisan ng ilog pasig hangad natin,tangalin fishpan tsaka mga nakatira sa tabi ng ilog,hukaying ang laguna lake para mabawan ang pag-baha,
since wala ding RFID, pede po bang yung nagregister ng 5k, takbo na lang ng 3k. pra makasabay ako sa mga friends ko.
thanks :-)
no offense! dapat nilagay nalang nila dyan one river , one walk! mas fit pa ata yun.sa dami nang expect nila tao sasali kahit paikot ikutin mo mundo masikip sa daan yan.
…im sure there are plenty of serious runners who want to join… i just hope the organizers can have a separate leg for runners who want help this cause… i mentioned in a previous thread that organizers can have a real River RUN and have it at an earlier time (like a 3AM gun start with a 5AM cutoff)… joining fees will cost more but more people get the chance to join… the rest of the targeted 150k can walk, run, jog or do cartwheels starting at 530AM up to the finish line….
all of the people involved in this feat except for the people working in ABS, AFP, PNP, MMDA and other Gov’t manpower are volunteers. Even ABS CBN Foundation have their own volunteers to be as counters in tandem with SGV Manpower for the manual counting of the participants.
The point of this run is to have an awareness that we Filipinos have to work together na meron pa tayong future na maipakita sa mga generations na paparating. I’m not saying na may tama or mali sa isa satin dito. No one is forcing anyone naman to join if you’re quite skeptical about how the proceeds are being spent. Have fun in helping out that’s all there is to it. I’m quite sure that what you guys are thinking? are also being thought of by so many individuals who have put their minds in making this feat possible. From security to the safety of the runners, to the water that the runners drink, to the people who set up the barricades, the EMS personnel, the sound system guys, police, fire, traffic, race organizers, everyone… have made a conscious effort to make this possible.
Again, just have fun in helping…
Personally I think they’re doing a good job.
You will not be able to rehabilitate pasig without cleaning the trIbutaries that flows into it first. If only I could, I wouldn’t mind joining this cause evey year. I will walk, jog, run, drag myself from start to finish line with or without RFID, with it without Guinness.