COTABATO CITY — An estimated 5,000 participants, mostly students, joined Tuesday’s Global Hand Washing Day celebration here in a bid by the city to enter the Guinness Book of World Records on having the most number of people washing their hands in one event.
Amid bad weather the city experienced on Tuesday, day care pupils, elementary and high school students, parents, and teachers participated in the simultaneous hand washing activity as the city established a two-kilometer long temporary hand washing facility to vie for the record.
The “tippy taps” stretched from the frontage of the City Hall area up to Sero Central Elementary School, both situated along Sinsuat Avenue here.
Non-government organizations, barangay officials and civic groups also joined the activity.
In his speech during the opening program, City Vice Mayor Graham Dumama commended the efforts of Cotabateños for the successful conduct of the event.
“Cotabato City has been participating in the observance of the Global Hand Washing Day ever since it started a few years ago. Congratulations to the city government and to all our partners for a very successful celebration this year”, Dumama said.
Early on, City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi also expressed her support to the activity, declaring that the city government is committed to upholding the rights of the youth to a healthy and sound environment conducive to their overall growth and success.
“The city government strongly supports the Global Hand Washing Day as we are committed to promote cleanliness and proper hygiene to our youth for their overall well-being,” the mayor said.
To date, almost all of the day care centers in the city’s 37 barangays have functioning hand washing facilities for children to use.
Schoolteachers are encouraged to promote regular hand washing routines to the pupils as part of their daily activities. (Noel Punzalan/PNA)
