Philippines bid to set world record for biggest 'woman' symbol

ATTEMP AT GUINNESS. Over 10,000 participate to create the biggest human formation of the woman’s symbol at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta, Manila, on March 8 Photo by George Moya

MANILA, Philippines – Over 10,000 people gathered in the Philippine capital on Saturday morning, March 8, in a bid to set a world record for the largest formation of the gender symbol for "woman" as part of International Women's Day.

The event, sponsored by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and Coca-Cola Philippines, brought together 10,168 men and women who formed the giant symbol in Manila's main public park, organizers said.

"The women's symbol puts a spotlight on how women are poised to become the social and economic powerhouses of the future," said. Adel Tamano, Coca-Cola Philippines' vice president for public affairs and communications.

“Women in the Philippines are our haligi, the true pillars of the business and communities we proudly serve,” he added.

“The event symbolizes our aim to show the world that the women in the Philippines stand united. We want to project a united voice that echoes the value and role of women in nation building, recovery, and progress,” said Emmeline Verzosa, executive director of the PCW.

Organizers of the event said that it would still take a week before the record is officially validated by Guinness World Records.

There is no previous record for the largest human formation of a gender symbol, although the Guinness website lists 10,563 people as taking part in a giant formation of a droplet in Haryana, India, in November, 2013.

Government and the bottling company have also partnered for a program to help Filipino women sari-sari store owners to become better entrepreneurs. It is part of Coca-Cola's global initiative “5by20,” a corporate social responsibility program that aims to economically empower 5 million women entrepreneurs by 2020.

The PCW has tapped the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to implement the STAR Program, which has so far trained 20,000 women micro-entrepreneurs in the country since it was launched in 2011. STAR stands for Sari-sari Store Training and Access Program.

Source Rappler.com