Some 800 biking enthusiasts gear up for the Globe Cordillera Challenge 5 on May 10 which promises to be the biggest off-road charity mountain bike ride in Northern Luzon to date.
The number is about 55 percent higher than last year’s registered bikers of 519, overshooting the original target of 600 participants.
Now on its fifth year, the Globe Cordillera Challenge reaches another turning point as Globe Business, the corporate arm of Globe, takes over its reins to bring environmental sustainability to the consciousness of major corporations. Globe Business caters to the top 5,000 corporations in the country.
“We are excited to witness this overwhelming response towards Globe Cordillera Challenge 5 which has gone a long way since it started with a mere 76 participants in 2010 This only shows that we have succeeded in creating awareness on the importance of this activity not only in promoting biking as a sport, but more importantly, on the need to rebuild the forests of the Cordilleras which have suffered from prolonged environmental destruction,” said Nikko Acosta, Globe Senior Vice President for Enterprise Group.
Globe Cordillera Challenge 5 aim is to raise at least P1.8 million to complete the establishment of 100 seedling nurseries in the Cordillera mountain range by yearend under the Roots & Shoots program of the Cordillera Conservation Trust (CCT), event partner and beneficiary.
Reforestation of the Cordilleras currently faces several challenges such as the lack of water efficient trees and the huge cost of buying and hauling saplings to remote areas, thus, the need to produce seedlings for tree planting purposes.
“For Globe Business, supporting the environment is an integral part of doing business that is why we want to encourage our partners and clients to help in the protection and preservation of our environment such as the Cordillera mountain range,” said Charmaine Pamintuan, Globe VP for Enterprise Marketing.
CCT Executive Director JP Alipio said: “We are very happy to partner with a corporation like Globe because their values are very much similar to us, making this is an equally beneficial relationship. Now with Globe Business, we are making a very big move forward since we are no longer just influencing individuals but the companies that they are partnered with.”
On the other hand, despite the daunting 65-kilometer ride from Tublay to Kapangan in Benguet and back, this year’s route is expected to be more picturesque as it will bring the bikers to remote areas of the region not often visited by tourists such as the hidden rice terraces of Naguey, Pasdong, and Kapangan and a shallow river in Benguet. However, it also involves more technical climbs with total ascent of 3,390 meters and total descent of 3,404 meters. Maximum slope going up and down is 30 percent grade with about 20-25 kms of dirt road going down continuously.
Globe continues to call for donation for the activity either through Globe GCASH (text DONATE<space> AMOUNT<space>MPIN<space>CORDI and send to 2882) or via direct deposit to the BDO Account of the Cordillera Conservation Trust, partner-beneficiary of the event (Account Name: Tignayan Para Iti Konserbasyon Ti Kordilyera; Account Number: 5180031673). A copy of the deposit slip with the name of the donor may be sent to [email protected].
Globe Cordillera Challenge 5 is supported primarily by Holcim Philippines, Nonpareil International Freight Cargo Services, Inc., Ximex Delivery Express, Inc., DotPH, Berghaus Limited, Coca Cola Philippines, Global Criterion Solutions, and Spyder Philippines. Other sponsors are Canto Restaurant, Café Maleng-ag, Cordillera Coffee, Eye Worx Optical Baguio, Gift Launcher, Hill Station, Messy Bessy, and Cordillera Heirloom Coffee.
IN PHOTO: Charmaine Pamintuan, Globe VP for Enterprise Marketing talks about this year’s Cordillera Challenge 5 during the weekly PIA-CAR Kapihan sa Baguio. Together with her are Fernando Esguerra, OIC, Globe Corporate Social Responsibility (right) and JP Alipio, Executive Director, Cordillera Conservation Trust (left)