ALL FOR TB AWARENESS A total of 5,596 participants set a new Guinness record for largest human formation in the shape of a pair of lungs, in the open field fronting Quirino Grandstand in Manila on Saturday. The activity—which broke the mark set by India in 2017—was organized by the Department of Health in observance of World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. —RICHARD A. REYES
The Philippines has become the new Guinness World Records holder for having the “largest human lung formation” early Saturday at the Quirino Grandstand grounds in Rizal Park, Manila, with the Department of Health (DOH) leading the event that marked World Tuberculosis (TB) Day.
Aimed at raising awareness and combatting stigma about TB, the formation gathered a total of 5,596 participants, surpassing the December 2017 record of 5,003 people in New Delhi, India, gathered by the Lung Care Foundation and Petronet LNG.
At Rizal Park, out of the more than 8,000 expected crowd, a total of 5,746 people came to the event. However, 151 participants were disqualified after prematurely leaving the formation.
Chong Wai Yip, a representative of Guinness, said in order to set a new record, they considered the number of participants, the form of the human lung, and there should be no gap during the official recording.
The health department was joined in by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Stop TB Partnership (STBP) and the Philippines Business for Social Progress (PBSP).
With the theme “Tuloy ang Bayanihan, TB ay Tuldukan (Let us continue volunteerism to stop TB),” the event was attended by health workers, 4Ps beneficiaries, university students, members of nongovernmental organizations and various communities “to depict the collective action and unity of Filipinos to address the challenges posed by TB.”
“TB continues to be a global concern even in 2024. With over a million cases, the Philippines has the third-highest number of TB cases worldwide,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in a statement.
He participated in the formation together with Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and other executives from WHO, STBP, USAID and PBSP.
“Unfortunately, TB remains one of the leading causes of death even though it can be cured,” Herbosa added.
Color-coded
The participants started gathering at Rizal Park as early as 3 a.m. on Saturday.
Those representing the right and left lung lobes wore orange shirts and caps, while those representing the trachea and the bronchial tubes wore green shirts and caps. They had to endure the heat and sun, as well as ants in some parts of the field, as they stood still and compressed within markers outlining the respiratory tract.
A drone took three overhead photos to document the event for the Guinness World Records.
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“Our attempt to break the Guinness World Records isn’t just about setting records. It’s a call to action and a show of our shared commitment to overcome the challenges posed by tuberculosis,” Herbosa said.
“It’s a movement to reshape perceptions, break stigma and advance the global conversation on tuberculosis, following the directive of President Marcos to stop the TB problem,” he added.
The health secretary pointed out how difficult it has been to achieve a world record.
“The rules are very strict, and we won’t be able to do this if we don’t help each other,” Herbosa said.