Bakit 175,000 lamang ang bilang ng isinagawang Worldwide Walk ng Iglesia Ni Cristo?

Naging maugong ang isinagawang World Wide Walk ng Iglsia Ni Cristo noong Feb. 15, 2014 na naipabalita hindi lamang sa Pilipinas kundi sa ibang bansa din.

MANILA (Updated) -- Religious group Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) broke the world record for the largest charity walk held in one site, after 175,509 people turned up for the "Worldwide Walk" in the streets of Manila to raise funds for Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) victims on Saturday.

Kirsty Bennet, adjudicator from the Guinness Book of World Records, said the 1.6-kilometer walk, which was primarily staged to raise funds for Yolanda survivors, surpassed the record of Singapore's "The New Paper Big Walk," which had 77,500 participants in 2000.

Bennet made the official announcement before 7 p.m. of Saturday. (SunStar)

Two records were set by members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) in just one weekend when almost 520,000 participated in their “Worldwide Walk for those Affected by Typhoon Yolanda”.

 Guinness World Record adjudicator Kirstie Bennett announced that 519,221 members of the INC joined in the walking event held in   29 countries in 135 sites covering 13 different time zones.

, INC spokesman Bro. Edwil Zabala said the record-setting activity initiated by INC Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo could not have come at a more fitting time.

Despite their twin achievements, the INC official stressed that breaking records was not the primary purpose of their activity.

 “The Worldwide Walk was put up by the INC mainly for the benefit of our brethren, who were affected by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’,” said Zabala.

And with each participant paying P250 registration fee, the walk  would have raised at least P129.8 million. 

The international walking event, held in 85 sites around the country and 50 in other countries, kicked-off in Christchurch, New Zealand and ended in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The record breaks the one previously set in 2007, wherein 231,635 participants walked in 1,011 different locations in Canada.

The new record was set despite five other sites failing to push through with the event due to extreme weather conditions.

On Saturday, INC already broke the record for the largest charity walk done in one site as 175,000   walked from the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Pasay City to Rizal Park in Manila.

It broke a previous record held by Singapore, wherein 77,500 participants joined the “The New Paper Big Walk”   in May 2000. (Malaya)

Issue para sa mga INC Detractors ang naging official count ng Guinness sa World Wide Walk na ito na 175,509.

Bakit nga ba 175k lang? iyan na ba ang kabuuang bilang ng mga INC members na nakipagkaisa sa nasabing activity?

Ang sagot ay "hindi" pero bakit? ang paliwanag po ay "DISQUALIFICATION". Marami ang nadisqulify gaya ng mga hindi naka-uniporme, mga nakapayong (bawal ang payong), mga kumakain at umiinom, mga lumabas sa linya, Nasirang wristband, at iba pa. Nadisqualify ang maraming nakipagkaisa at ang totoo nyan ay 20% lamang ang 175k ng kabuuang bilang ng mga nakipagkaisang Kapatid sa Worldwide Walk. Ang nagsagawa ng pagbibilang ay ang SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co. (SGV & Co.)

 Upang mas maintindihan natin narito ang isang litrato:

Yung kulay pulang parte (20%) lamang ang Opisyal na itinala ng SGV at ang kulay asul (80%) naman ay ang mga nadisqulified. Kung kukunin natin ang eksaktong bilang ng mga nadisqualified. Malaki po ang nawalang bilang ng mga nakipagkaisa sa Worldwide walk na nangyari. Hindi parin kasama jan ang mga Kapatid na nagsilbing bantay para sa kaayusan at seguridad sa venue.

Ngunit kahit ganuon ang nangyari, idineklara ng Guinness na "OFFICIALLY AMAZING" ang Iglesia Ni Cristo Worldwide Walk for Typhoon Haiyan - Yolanda Victims.