Saving the Pasig River

On November 8, 2009, more than 21,000 people participated in the Philippine International Marathon 2009: Run for the Pasig River organized by the Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig (KBPIP).

This run-for-a-cause project headed by ABS-CBN Foundation's Gina Lopez aims to clear the Pasig River of garbage and squatters.

Runners had the opportunity get close to the river by a non-traditional route that crossed nine of the 13 bridges of the waterway. Some portions of the race enabled runners to run alongside the river.

The Run for Pasig River shows the participants the sorry state of the river and how they can help in saving it.

Among those who joined the run were former Philippine President Fidel Ramos and his wife former First Lady Amelita "Ming" Ramos, ABS-CBN Chairman and CEO Gabby Lopez, Jaime Zobel de Ayala and former Miss Universe Margie Moran-Florendo. The race was won by Vincent Chepsiror of Kenya.

Years ago, on June 19, 1998 a special stamp was issued to highlight the Piso Para sa Pasig campaign which aims to keep the Pasig River alive.

Rat-eating Plant Discovered

I never thought that a plant could eat a rat. It's usually the other way around but lately, a group of scientists discovered such a plant at Mount Victoria in the municipality of Narra, Palawan.

Botanists called the carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes attenboroughii. It is said to be the largest meat-eating plant in the world and not just feeds on rats but on insects as well.

Other species were also found by the scientists led by Britons Alastair Robinson and Stewart McPherson. These include new species of sundew, strange pink ferns and blue mushrooms, and a long thought extinct plant, Nepenthes deaniana.

Only in the Philippines, is what I can say about these new discoveries.

Click here to read more on the rat-eating plant from an Abs-cbn report.