Are you running yet? Yes, almost everybody is into running and walking nowadays if you open social media. Posts vary from people in motion in their new shoes, in their running OOTDs, with their smartwatches to record their new PR or personal record.

From Rizal Park to the busy stretches of EDSA, it seems this is the new normal for coping with work-related stress and the higher prices of goods and fuel. People are now also running and walking instead of booking rides or driving.

It’s more about exploring practical solutions and taking a mental health break to deal with the changes in the world we can’t control. I remember a saying that goes: “Depression hates a moving target.” So run, walk, move your body to shake off the stress from life’s everyday challenges.

I hate to play devil’s advocate, but despite the benefits people get from walking, running and moving around, what exactly are we breathing in? Have you heard the news yet?

Air quality across Metro Manila has recently reached unhealthy thresholds for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Well, that means it’s not safe to breathe in and out the air around us for so long. That’s why LGUs like Manila and Quezon City have posted reminders for their residents to wear face masks when going out due to the air quality.

It’s not just increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease or weakening immunity; it can also affect our cognitive function. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that air quality affects a person’s ability to focus and respond. So you can run, walk, eat healthy meals, and hydrate religiously, but if the air itself is compromised, then so is the foundation of your health. Not to mention the heat — it’s been unforgiving lately — but whenever one is outside, it feels like a test of endurance.

The air pollution and the rising temperatures have forced some institutions and government agencies to initiate a response because if not now, then when, right?

Take the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). It’s not exactly the first agency that comes to mind when you think of environmental advocacy, but perhaps that’s what makes its efforts worth noting.

Green milestone

Over the past few years, the maritime agency has reached a milestone for planting more than 20 million trees and mangroves. Yes, millions! Not as a one-off, but as part of a broader Green Port Strategy that tries to reconcile development with responsibility. Progress — but make it sustainable! It’s easy to dismiss numbers like that as just another line in a report, but consider what it represents: carbon being absorbed, coastlines being protected, ecosystems slowly being rebuilt.

Despite not being the lead agency in environmental protection and cleaning the coastal waters, the PPA did not want to stop planting. Since 2016, under the leadership of general manager Jay Santiago, over a million kilos of waste have also been culled from port operations and cleanup drives. It seems the PPA is “OC” when it comes to messes.

Most ports now also have solar panels and energy-efficient lighting, and shore-based power supplies are on the way. It’s becoming so advanced, like the ports I’ve visited in First World countries, which are sustainable and efficient.

Who would have thought that, while it’s not their main role, ports are forward-thinking and actively pursuing sustainable development goals, especially in this country, where natural disasters are only a matter of time.

But beyond the plaques and citations, what matters more is the shift in mindset in the Filipino system initiated at the ports: that progress and environmental stewardship can finally sit in the same boat!

Let’s be honest. No amount of running, OOTDs, or step counts can outpace the polluted air and extreme heat. You can invest in the best shoes, track every calorie and still inhale what will slowly harm you. That’s the irony we’re living in, sadly, unless we do something about it.

So, yes, keep running. Keep walking. Keep showing up for your health. But also start asking the harder questions about the environment you’re breathing in and out. Health is not just a personal goal anymore. In this ever-changing world, it is a shared responsibility.

If we want to keep moving forward, we have to start fixing the root causes — from the land, the air, and the sea — not just for ourselves but for everyone trying to catch their breath.