Pusong Hero for Net Zero: Run for Climate Action - Laguna Leg

On 28 September 2025, the first-ever Pusong Hero for Net Zero Fun Run at NU Lipa was organized to launch a nationwide series of youth-led climate actions. The event brought together local governments, private-sector champions, schools, and everyday citizens, united in showing the nation that bold climate action starts with a single step.

The story that sparked the run

In May 2025, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) and National University campuses in Laguna, Dasmariñas, and Lipa challenged students to create a logo that could ignite climate hope. Seventy-nine teams—nearly 400 young creatives—answered.

The winning mark, “Pusong Hero for Net Zero,” by NU Lipa students Allen Christian Salvatierra, Maria Antonilla Camacho, Alexis Dequino, Jamaica Lopez, and Matthew Sarmiento, captured a nation’s heartbeat for the planet.

Their message was clear: “United by heart, driven by hope, and rooted in the strength of our land, we call on Climate Heroes to rise.” The fun run marked the first public stride under this new emblem.

Why the urgency?

Super typhoons, scorching droughts, and rising seas already mark our daily headlines. Yet the world can still halve emissions by 2030—if everyone acts now. The event aligned with the UN-backed Race to Zero, a global coalition of non-state actors committed to that goal. As a Race to Zero Accelerator in the Philippines, ECCP supported the run as a starting point for mobilizing youth and communities around practical climate action.

Why Batangas?

Batangas is a rare crossroads where heavy industry and world-class marine biodiversity meet.

• Industrial engine. The province anchors CALABARZON’s export corridor with hubs such as LIMA Estate (Lipa–Malvar), First Philippine Industrial Park (Sto. Tomas), and Batangas City’s petrochemical zone. Its industrial base supports jobs, innovation, and national revenues.
• Gateway to the sea. Its coastline borders the Verde Island Passage, known as the “center of the center” of marine biodiversity. Coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds shield communities from storms and sustain fisheries that feed Luzon.
• High-impact proving ground. Holding the fun run at NU Lipa placed climate visibility where manufacturing, logistics, and fragile coastal ecosystems intersect. It provided a platform to encourage low-carbon practices while spotlighting ocean protection.

Launching Pusong Hero for Net Zero in Batangas highlighted how economic growth and environmental stewardship can run—literally—in the same lane.

Ways to Take Part

The event offered companies, schools, sports clubs, civic groups, families, and individual changemakers several pathways to participate in Pusong Hero for Net Zero: Run for Climate Action:

• Path 1: Run Solo – Individual participation for students, young professionals, and everyday Filipinos across race categories.
• Path 2: Run as a Pack – Group participation for barkadas, families, barangay teams, and sports or civic clubs.
• Path 3: Corporate Champions – Opportunities for companies and start-ups to field teams or sponsor race kits, water stations, and finish-line booths.
• Path 4: Adopt-a-Kilometre – Opportunities for brands, LGUs, NGOs, and school organizations to support hydration, cheer, or recovery zones along the route.
• Path 5: RTNZ Climate Heroes Fund – A channel for contributions to support youth climate programs.

A Shared Starting Line

Whether running, jogging, walking, or cheering, the event centered on a shared message: climate action is everyone’s race. It encouraged classmates, colleagues, and communities to wear the heart proudly and take steps toward a healthier, fairer, climate-resilient future.