Basic Education and Literacy: Alay Lakad

They were a picturesque sight – hundreds upon hundreds of men and women in shorts or knee-jagged Levis carrying bottles of water running along Roxas Boulevard and heading towards the end of their journey – the Quirino Grandstand at the Luneta.

There are dozens of fun runs but the most famous of them is Alay Lakad, an activity held every first Sunday of September for the past 47 years. The 48th fun run should have been held last Sunday, but the coronavirus stepped in and put it on hold. But not to worry. Frank Evaristo, president of Alay Lakad Foundation, says as soon as the air is clear, the next fun run will be on again. He expects the same 5,000 or more participants to sign in for the event.

The foundation’s chair is President Duterte, and vice chair is Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo. The board of trustees is made up of Frank, John Siy, Domingo Yap, Rudy Bediones and many others, from civic and public organizations.

The “walking” activity started as a response to the call of the late DSWD Secretary Estefania Aldaba Lim to enable out-of-school youths (OSYs) to attend school through scholarship programs, educational assistance, skills and livelihood trainings. Through the years, says Frank, Rotary Clubs International and the Philippine Chinese Federation have been avid supporters of the walk-for-a-cause program. With the yearly fun runs, more than 70,000 grants have enabled OSYs to attend school and livelihood trainings. This year, even without the fun run, students are provided materials as they pursue studies online.

Frank, a likeable fellow, has a BS in commerce degree from Letran University and a masters in business administration from Fordham University in New York. He was elected the 95th president of the Rotary Club of Manila for the year 2014-2015.