Never mind us, Joel Garganera said while we were completing a tempo run around the jogging area in the IT Park a few weeks back, think of the children who have to walk to school and back home every day.
Garganera, who is running for a City Council seat in the Cebu City north district, was discussing with a few runners who joined one of the Friday Night Runs about how the city’s streets are unfriendly to pedestrians and hostile to joggers. He wants to change that.
ON THE ROAD. Former Tinago barangay captain Joel Garganera, a serial marathoner, campaigns on the road for a Cebu City Council seat in the north district. CLICK ON PHOTO TO VIEW LARGER IMAGE. (PHOTO PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION FROM SUN.STAR CEBU)“Children need sidewalks so that they can be safe in walking to school. Our streets are not child-friendly,” he said.
Better streets and sidewalks that keep children safe will also benefit runners, Garganera said.
The former Tinago barangay captain is an avid runner. He has run six marathons in just a year.
“I run, I swim, I bike, I play basketball. I read the sports section of the newspaper first. I got my children into sports at an early age. I encourage my friends to join me in my running and biking. I’ve seen and lived the benefits of sports that’s why I’ve put sports development high in my legislative agenda,” he told Sun.Star Cebu in a recent interview.
Garganera’s passion for running is matched by his enthusiasm in governance. He was, at 21 years old, the youngest barangay captain to be elected in Cebu City.
In the interview, Garganera said he would prioritize running because “it’s a sport that doesn’t discriminate against age, gender, class and education. All you need is a good pair of running shoes.”
“But while running, I realized that good running shoes are not enough. Runners also need to run on good and safe roads and sidewalks. This is where government has been inadequate in,” he said.
“One legislative agenda that I will pursue is to create a commission or a regulatory body that will look after the welfare of runners in Cebu City and make the roads and sidewalks friendlier to everyone,” Garganera said.
“If our roads are not safe for runners who are mindful of where they land their foot, how much more for young school kids who walk to school?” Garganera said.