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Official Publication of the Philippine Information Agency Bicol Regional Office, in cooperation with the RIAC-REDIRAS - RDC Bicol



Saturday, March 1, 2014

PHL notches Guinness World Record for "Most People to Sign up as Organ donors"

BY: ANALIZA S. MACATANGAY

NAGA CITY, March 1 (PIA)--- Thousands of prospective donors who trooped to the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum here on Friday, Feb. 28, formed part of the historic success of the "most people to sign up as organ donors" that entered into the Guinness World Record when the Philippines set the new record grabbing the title from India.

Under the multiple site category, the total donors, including those from this site here, who signed up unofficially totaled to 17,856 again beating India’s record of 10,450 in an 8-hour time duration.

The attempt kicked off simultaneously from five (5) sites or locations. Here in Naga City, the venue was at the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum; In Tuguegarao, at the Mamba Gym; at the Almendras Gym in Davao and two sites in Metro-Manila: the Quezon City Memorial Circle and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila.

Other sites around the country who also joined in this attempt at the same time were La Union at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center.

After registering an unofficial record of 3,548 for 30 minutes, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila on Friday now carries the new record for the most number of registrants for organ donors in an hour in a single venue, beating India’s 2,755 organ donor registrants recorded for an hour.

Dr. Efren B. Nierva, Bicol Medical Center (BMC) Director and City Councilor David Casper Nathan Sergio, main proponent of the Organ for Life Ordinance of this city led the registrants during the first hour attempt. It was followed by the city official, headed by Mayor John Bongat, and the administrators and personnel of BMC, led by Dr. Freddie Sy, head of the Department of Surgery and Organ Procurement Office and Dr. Mary Jane Guazon-Uy, chief of Medical and Professional Staff.

Naga City’s registrants during the first 20 minutes, was running more than a thousand when the computer and on-screen projector bleeps and rendered a black wall.  When it resumed, the number resumed to 0 and stared counting again, ending the registrants for the one hour at 725.  The technical glitch was immediately documented for the Guinness’ comments.

Although saddened by the technical error, the event organizers which include the BMC, LGU Naga and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Camarines Sur Provincial and Regional Office, were happy to note that the actual and physical counting resulted to more than 2,000 unofficial registrants.

Guinness has yet to certify the registration forms’ validity and the new records set.

“We are very happy with the turn out of the event as it reflects the people’s awareness on organ donation. What we just did is a noble act of leaving a legacy—extending a part of ourselves when we die, so that others may live,” Sergio stated. (MAL/LSM-PIA5/Camarines Sur)  

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