Coach Bob, 1ST-APLUMA join forces in Filipino South Pole Expedition
Posted by unang apluma on Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Under: 1st-APLUMA UPDATES
BOB del Castillo, or "Coach" to his family and friends, is risking his life to achieve what no Filipino has accomplished so far: reach the South Pole by hiking.
Sadly, no government agency or official has expressed support for his endeavor that would surely make the Filipino proud once again, after the international embarrassment the country took during the infamous hostage taking in Manila that took the life of eight Hong Kong tourists.
"I have presented myself to be a volunteer for this mission. All the Filipino people have to do is help in their own little way. After all, this is not just for me but for the whole nation," said Coach Bob, who needs more or less P13 million for the trip.
1st-APLUMA or Unang Alyansa ng Pambansa at Pamprobinsiyang Lupon at Ugnayan ng Makatao at Maka-Diyos na mga Mamamahayag has promised to help Coach Bob in its own little way by helping disseminate to the media his advocacy and the coverage of the entire trip as well.
1ST-APLUMA National President Ismael Amigo said the group of provincial media practitioners would receive pledges and other help for Coach Bob through its website http://1st-apluma.yolasite.com.
“The website will also be the official media outlet of Coach Bob's trip,” Amigo said.
If he successfully reaches the Geographic South Pole, Coach Bob will plant the Philippine flag where it will stay there along with 13 other national colors earlier planted.
At present, Coach Bob has already shouldered the expenses for his preparation and training. All that is left in Coach Bob's "gas tank" is the expenses for the trip to New Zealand, where he will continue his training this month for the grueling mission.
Coach Bob revealed that a television network promised to help his quest on the condition that he "return alive from the trip".
Returning alive seems to be an impossible task for Coach Bob with the conditions that he would be facing when he begins his journey.
Carrying a 150-kilo baggage, Coach Bob has to trek 1,170 kilometers from Chile to Antartic under sub-human conditions such as temperatures ranging from -40 to -100 degrees Celsius and winds of more than 100 kilometers per hour. He is also obligated by the Antarctic Treaty regulations to bring back all he carries, including his waste.
But Coach Bob is ready to put his life on the line just to raise awareness regarding climate change and the damage it has done to the country, especially in the light of Typhoon Ondoy that left thousands of Filipinos dead.
Through the Filipino South Pole Expedition 2010, Coach Bob wants to deliver a four-pronged message and advocacy that would help raise climate change awareness and make the Philippines be a prayer nation once again.
First, Coach Bob will push for the declaration of South Pole as the first defense against global warming.
"The South Pole is the scene where Climate Change is most evident and dramatic. While it is desolate and subject to intense weather conditions, it hosts the biggest ozone hole and 90 percent of the world’s glacial ice; putting these two qualities together equates to glacial retreat and sea-level rise," Coach Bob explained.
Second, Coach Bob wants the Philippines to become a signatory to the Antartic Treaty, which only has 30 original signatories with Japan as the only Asian country joining it.
"The government must actively participate because we are also a victim of climate change, with the recent typhoons that severely affected the country and the El Nino Phenomenon destroyed billions of agricultural products," coach Bob emphasized.
Third, Coach Bob is hoping that his expedition would serve as catalyst for the Philippines to become a prayer nation once again.
"We Filipinos being known world-wide as prayerful people so we decided to do our share through that medium which we have proven very effective during the 1986 EDSA Revolution when we summoned Divine Intervention to drive away the dictatorship and bring back democracy to the nation,” Coach Bob said.
“If we succeeded in doing it at EDSA I, why not for climate change through our individual prayer petitions?" he added.
Coach Bob's fourth mission is personal, eyeing to break the world record of 33 days by reaching the destination in just 30 days.
"To do this, I will walk 50 kilometers a day under extreme conditions," coach Bob said.
Sadly, no government agency or official has expressed support for his endeavor that would surely make the Filipino proud once again, after the international embarrassment the country took during the infamous hostage taking in Manila that took the life of eight Hong Kong tourists.
"I have presented myself to be a volunteer for this mission. All the Filipino people have to do is help in their own little way. After all, this is not just for me but for the whole nation," said Coach Bob, who needs more or less P13 million for the trip.
1st-APLUMA or Unang Alyansa ng Pambansa at Pamprobinsiyang Lupon at Ugnayan ng Makatao at Maka-Diyos na mga Mamamahayag has promised to help Coach Bob in its own little way by helping disseminate to the media his advocacy and the coverage of the entire trip as well.
1ST-APLUMA National President Ismael Amigo said the group of provincial media practitioners would receive pledges and other help for Coach Bob through its website http://1st-apluma.yolasite.com.
“The website will also be the official media outlet of Coach Bob's trip,” Amigo said.
If he successfully reaches the Geographic South Pole, Coach Bob will plant the Philippine flag where it will stay there along with 13 other national colors earlier planted.
At present, Coach Bob has already shouldered the expenses for his preparation and training. All that is left in Coach Bob's "gas tank" is the expenses for the trip to New Zealand, where he will continue his training this month for the grueling mission.
Coach Bob revealed that a television network promised to help his quest on the condition that he "return alive from the trip".
Returning alive seems to be an impossible task for Coach Bob with the conditions that he would be facing when he begins his journey.
Carrying a 150-kilo baggage, Coach Bob has to trek 1,170 kilometers from Chile to Antartic under sub-human conditions such as temperatures ranging from -40 to -100 degrees Celsius and winds of more than 100 kilometers per hour. He is also obligated by the Antarctic Treaty regulations to bring back all he carries, including his waste.
But Coach Bob is ready to put his life on the line just to raise awareness regarding climate change and the damage it has done to the country, especially in the light of Typhoon Ondoy that left thousands of Filipinos dead.
Through the Filipino South Pole Expedition 2010, Coach Bob wants to deliver a four-pronged message and advocacy that would help raise climate change awareness and make the Philippines be a prayer nation once again.
First, Coach Bob will push for the declaration of South Pole as the first defense against global warming.
"The South Pole is the scene where Climate Change is most evident and dramatic. While it is desolate and subject to intense weather conditions, it hosts the biggest ozone hole and 90 percent of the world’s glacial ice; putting these two qualities together equates to glacial retreat and sea-level rise," Coach Bob explained.
Second, Coach Bob wants the Philippines to become a signatory to the Antartic Treaty, which only has 30 original signatories with Japan as the only Asian country joining it.
"The government must actively participate because we are also a victim of climate change, with the recent typhoons that severely affected the country and the El Nino Phenomenon destroyed billions of agricultural products," coach Bob emphasized.
Third, Coach Bob is hoping that his expedition would serve as catalyst for the Philippines to become a prayer nation once again.
"We Filipinos being known world-wide as prayerful people so we decided to do our share through that medium which we have proven very effective during the 1986 EDSA Revolution when we summoned Divine Intervention to drive away the dictatorship and bring back democracy to the nation,” Coach Bob said.
“If we succeeded in doing it at EDSA I, why not for climate change through our individual prayer petitions?" he added.
Coach Bob's fourth mission is personal, eyeing to break the world record of 33 days by reaching the destination in just 30 days.
"To do this, I will walk 50 kilometers a day under extreme conditions," coach Bob said.
In : 1st-APLUMA UPDATES