Priest ends 2,060-km Davao to Aparri walk

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Rains notwithstanding, activist priest Amado Picardal on Friday completed his 57-day journey on foot from this city to the far North.

In a text message to the Inquirer also on Friday, Picardal said he arrived in Aparri, amid heavy rains, around 4:49 p.m.

“Final day of my journey. Pushing forward from Gattaran to Aparri today amid typhoon signal 1,” Picardal said in an earlier text message.

Speaking later to the Inquirer by phone, the 57-year-old Redemptorist priest, who had biked across the country to push for environmental protection and a stop to extrajudicial killings, said he felt relieved to have completed his most challenging endeavor so far.

This time, he was also calling on Malacañang to reconsider its stand on the reproductive health (RH) bill.

“I survived,” he blurted out when the Inquirer contacted him by phone later on Friday.

What made Picardal’s journey tougher was that he suffers from a heart condition that can be fatal.

He was diagnosed with a myocardial ischemia, or angina, which is characterized by the lack of blood flow to the heart.

“It could have been a very scary journey. I was alone. But I’ve been aware of God’s presence,” Picardal said.

He said the journey—which started April 1—also became more difficult because of the heavy downpour and biting cold, he said.

He also had bouts with dehydration and diarrhea.

“Psychologically and spiritually, I have a deeper faith and deeper understanding of myself,” Picardal said.

Also, his advocacy pushed him harder to complete his 2,060-kilometer journey by foot.

“I never thought of stopping and was taking the travel one step at a time. I was really sure I can do it, even though I knew how difficult it was,” Picardal said. Dennis Jay Santos, Inquirer Mindanao