Record-breaking

WHEN it comes to contending for world records in the Guinness Book of World Records, the Philippines is always game.
Recently, the country (through the Polytechnic University of the Philippines or PUP) broke India’s record for the most number of organ donation pledges in an hour in a single site, the Department of Health (DOH) announced on February 28.
According to automated counters, PUP garnered 3,540 pledged organ donations from 9am to 10am on February 28 as compared to India’s current 2,755, which they achieved in Ahmedabad, Guijarat on Sept. 17, 2013.
“Past records were done in universities, so we were betting on PUP to break the records. And true enough, more than 3,000 have signed up here in PUP,” said Antonio Paraiso, DOH manager for Philippine Network on Organ Sharing (Philnos).
However, Paraiso said that the record-breaking feat still needs to be validated by Guinness, with the results expected to be revealed between three weeks to three months.
The country is also “bidding to break the 10,450 pledged organ donors in ‘eight hours in a single site’ recorded set in Rohtak, Haryana, India on Dec. 1, 2013,” as reported by Philstar.com.
According to www.guinnessworldrecords.com, the Philippines has broken several Guinness World Records in the past, including: largest shot slam (with 2,435 people taking part in the event, downing gin shots at the Naga City Coliseum in December 2010); largest island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island, referring to Vulcan Island — a 40-meter long tiny island inside Crater Lake at the summit of Taal Volcano, which is within Taal Lake; Most Mentos and soda fountains (when Mentos and diet soda are mixed together, they form “ a violent and foamy reaction,” leading to the formation of “fountains,” says Guinness), 2,865 Mentos-induced soda fountains were formed simultaneously at an event at the SM Mall of Asia; most fireworks rockets launched in 30 seconds (“125,801 rockets were launched in Cebu in May 2010, from 16 stacks of 8,000 rockets each.”); and last but not least, Junrey Balawing (who was only 23.5 inches tall at age 18 on June 2011) was declared the shortest living man in 2011.
Breaking world records is truly a remarkable feat for anyone or any country. But while these achievements are both amazing and amusing, when it comes to things that really matter, the Philippines is still found wanting.
According to the latest US State Department annual human rights country report (released on February 28), “unexplained killings, dysfunctional criminal justice system, widespread corruption and abuse of power remain to be the most significant human rights problems in the Philippines,” as reported by Philstar.com.
“Dynastic political families continued to monopolize elective offices at the national and local level,” the report further said.
“Other human rights problems cited in the annual report were allegations of prisoner/detainee torture and abuses by security forces, violence and harassment against human rights activists, disappearances, warrantless arrests, lengthy pretrial detentions, overcrowded and inadequate prison conditions, killings and harassment of journalists and internally displaced persons, violence against women, abuse and sexual exploitation of children; Trafficking in persons, limited access to facilities for persons with disabilities, lack of full integration of indigenous people, absence of law and policy to protect persons from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, suspected vigilante killings, child labor and ineffective enforcement of workers’ rights,” Philstar.com further said.
The US State Dept. report also noted that the Philippine government has investigated on and prosecuted only a few reported human rights abuses; and that concerns about impunity still persisted.
Perhaps, it’s about time that we tap our competitive nature and use it another way — the Guinness Book of World Records is all about record-breaking numbers; when it comes to human rights problems, the lesser we have, the better.
(AJPress)