A fun run, conceived and organized by Concepcion Durables, Inc (Condura) president Anton Concepcion, was held last March 2, 2008 to generate awareness and raise funds for the protection and preservation of the Tubbataha reefs, a marine sanctuary located in the Sulu Sea, that is home to over a thousand species of corals and other marine life such as manta rays, lionfish, pawikan or tortoise, clownfish, and sharks.
The reefs stretch for some 96,282 hectares in the vast Sulu Sea. It was proclaimed as a National Marines Park in August 11, 1988 and was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on December 1993. The reef is under technical supervision by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) & the Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR). The Philippines Department of National Defense (DND) provides protective management by deploying a team of armed rangers to guard the site 24 hours/ 7 days a week. However, because of its vast area, it has been a gigantic task to protect it against poachers and big-time illegal fishing syndicates that plague its waters.
Dubbed as a race to save the reef, the Condura Race for Tubbataha was divided into three distances: the 10-km, 5-km and 3-km run. More than 1,500 participants, which included businessmen, health buffs, environmentalists, running aficionados and regular folks, congregated at the starting line at the NBC Tent Grounds in Bonifacio Global City in the early morning of March 2, 2008 to partake in the environmentally relevant cause that raised P100, 000. Sighted in the event were socialite Shawn Umsted and Actor Zanjoe Marudo. Due to the success of the Condura Race, Concepcion is considering making it an annual event, to be held every first Sunday of March.
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