The Makati City government is holding a fun run on October 18 in the city’s central business district to raise awareness on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through the Stand United, Fight Poverty campaign. Full proceeds from the run will be donated to the Gawad Kalinga Dreamlandville project in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Stand United, Fight Poverty is the Philippines’ theme for this year’s Stand Up, Take Action Against Poverty campaign, a three-day global mobilization to send a loud and clear message from citizens to leaders of rich and poor countries to take urgent action to achieve the MDGs.

Last year, the Philippines broke the world record for the global campaign, with 35.2 million Filipinos participating in various activities for the campaign. Globally, 23 million people participated in 2006, 47 million in 2007 and 116 million last year. This year, the Stand Up campaign happens on October 16, 17 and 18.

For the fourth year in a row, millions of people around the world will Stand Up and Take Action to show their support for the fight against poverty and for the achievement of the MDGs. The MDGs are eight time-bound goals aimed at significantly reducing, if not completely eradicating, extreme poverty by 2015.

With six years left to the 2015 deadline for achievement of the MDGs, the Philippines continues to lag behind on its targets and the series of natural disasters further threatens development efforts.

“More than one-third of the population are still living on less that one dollar a day, over five million children are not in school, 93 newborn babies and 11 mothers are dying everyday, HIV and AIDS cases are growing, with the youth increasingly becoming more vulnerable, and environmental resources are depleting,” said United Nations Population Fund Representative and UN Advocacy Group Chair Suneeta Mukherjee.

Part of this year’s Stand Up activities is the “I Vote for MDG” survey, which encourages voters to know their candidates in next year’s elections and support those who will have the MDGs as their platform of government. For more information about the “I Vote for MDG” campaign and the Stand Up events, visit www.un.org.ph/standup.

Download the Fun Run Registration Form