MANILA, Philippines — A week after setting two world records for its Worldwide Walk for typhoon Yolanda survivors, the Iglesia Ni Cristo, has set another world record, this time, for the most number of hunger relief packs distributed within eight hours for its Lingap sa Mamamayan or Aid to Humanity conducted in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija Saturday, February 22.
It was the sixth Guinness World Record of the INC since July 2012, and the third Guinness record set by the religious organization this year, 2014, considered as its “Centennial Year.” The INC will be celebrating its 100th anniversary on July 27, 2014.
Guinness World Record Adjudicator Seyda Subasi Gemici thanked the INC for its “well-done, organized and professionally-done record attempt” which she said followed all the strict guidelines of Guinness.
“I have the pleasure to announce the world record attempt for the most number of hunger relief packages distributed in eight hours, single venue, with an achieved number of 302,311 hunger relief packs. Mabuhay ang Iglesia Ni Cristo and you are all officially amazing!” declared Gemici Saturday night amid cheers of the people who remained to personally witness the announcement at a stage in Barrio Maligaya, Palayan City, Nueva Ecija where the INC conducted its relief distribution.
INC General Auditor minister Glicerio B. Santos Jr., who is also the president of the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation, Inc., the INC’s charitable arm, said this was “all for God’s glory.”
The massive relief distribution was done upon the instruction of INC Executive Minister Bro. Eduardo V. Manalo in commemoration of the 49th anniversary of Barrio Maligaya, a self-sustaining INC community in Nueva Ecija which was initially set up for the 145 INC families who had been persecuted and sent away from Hacienda Luisita, after the INC members refused to join a labor union there. The INC members in Hacienda Luisita made an exodus from Hacienda Luisita to their new home in Barrio Maligaya on February 22, 1965.
Manalo himself officiated a special worship service in Barrio Maligaya early Saturday morning attended by about half a million INC delegates from different congregations surrounding Nueva Ecija. Huge tents with large LED screens were set-up in an 18-hectare open area set up especially for the outdoor worship service that day. The worship service started at around 7 a.m., after which the relief distribution was done, starting at 9:18 a.m. It closed eight hours later at exactly 5:18 p.m.
The counting and validation of the wristbands given to those who got relief packs were finished just before 7 p.m. The counting was closely monitored, validated and tabulated by representatives from SGV (Sycip, Gorres, Velayo and company) auditing firm.
“Muli ay purihin natin ang ating Diyos! Salamat sa Kanyang Pamamahala. Isa na naman itong malaking tagumpay ng Iglesia Ni Cristo at ng buong Pilipinas!” said Santos.
Santos stressed that the new Guinness world record of the INC was not just a victory for the church, but also for the country.
“Itong tagumpay ng Iglesia Ni Cristo sa pagkakamit ng anim na Guinness records ay tagumpay ng Pilipinas. Ito’y dapat ipagmalaki ng bawat isang Pilipino (This victory of the INC in achieving six Guinness records is also a victory for the Philippines. Each Filipino should be proud of this),” he said shortly after the announcement.
Gemici also noted that the Guinness records set by the INC were all done for “charity” purposes. The latest record set by the INC had to exceed the required minimum by the Guinness of 300,000 relief packages for it to set an entirely new Guinness world record. Each pack should have at least two non-perishable items, which in this case were the noodles and sardines pack. Each relief pack has three kilos of rice, three noodle packs and three cans of sardines.
INC volunteer doctors, nurses, dentists and paramedics also conducted a medical and dental mission in the area where the relief distribution was done.
The relief distribution in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija also coincided with the 22nd anniversary of the INC’s resettlement site in nearby Bagong Buhay, Palayan City, Nueva Ecija where at least 300 families affected by Mount Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991 had been relocated. Both the Barrio Maligaya and Bagong Buhay resettlement sites were established during the time of the late INC Executive Minister Eraῆo G. Manalo.
INC spokesperson for the INC’s latest relief distribution event, minister Edwil Zabala, said the Guinness record just highlighted what the church had been doing all along, which is helping people who need aid wherever they are, especially during times of calamities and disasters.
He said most of the intended beneficiaries of the INC’s relief distribution in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija were villagers affected by typhoon Santi (international name Nari) which had hit the rice-growing plains of Central Luzon the hardest. This was in October 2013, a few weeks before super-typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) pummeled Central Philippines starting November 8, 2013 when it made six landfalls. The INC had also sent immediate aid and relief packs to the areas affected by typhoon Santi and typhoon Yolanda last year.
Just a week ago, on February 15, the “INC Worldwide Walk” for survivors of typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) broke the Guinness record for the largest charity walk in a single venue (Manila site with 175,509 participants), and set a new world record for the largest charity walk done within 24 hours in multiple venues (135 sites around the world with 519,221 participants)
The first three Guinness records broken by the church organization was on July 7, 2012, during the INC International Aid to Humanity held at the Parola compound in Tondo, Manila where INC volunteers conducted a whole day medical-dental and relief mission for the poor residents in the area as part of the 98th year commemoration of the INC’s registration in the Philippines on July 27, 1914.
The INC broke three Guinness world records on that day, July 7, 2012, namely the largest dental health check, the biggest number of blood pressure (BP) readings taken in eight hours, and the most numerous blood glucose level (BGL) tests, also conducted in eight hours. (Eagle News Service)
