600,000 PARTICIPATE IN MARCH

Anti-Drug Rally Sets Guiness Record

MANILA, Philippines - Some 600,000 people in red shirts swarmed a
stretch of Roxas Boulevard in Manila Saturday in a bid to set a
record as the world's first and biggest anti-drug rally.

The number landed the Grand Bida March in the Guinness Book of
Records as the largest march against illegal drugs as certified by
adjudicators from London-Lucia Sinigagliesi and Denice Anlander.

The event was led by the Batang Iwas Droga (Bida) Foundation Inc. and
the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) as part of its
massive campaign to educate grade school students against the dangers
of illegal drugs.

Anlander told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of
INQUIRER.net, that they didn't have the exact figure yet but it was
enough that the crowd seemed to have passed the minimum requirement
of 100,000. She said they would verify the exact figure within the week.

Bida has so far recruited 700,000 student-members, together with
their parents, teachers, representatives from government agencies,
non-government organizations, and employees of the Philippine
Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor). Their number was expected to
reach from 500,000 to one million marchers.

Bida corporate secretary Josephine Evangelista said they were happy
with the huge turnout but the more important message was their
campaign for preventive education against illegal drugs.

Pagcor corporate communications officers said some 600,000 registered
on the Cultural Center of the Philippines grounds. They assembled at
1 p.m. and were counted by a machine that read bar-coded cards that
were given beforehand at the Rajah Sulayman Park.

Bida mascots, street dancers, and television artists provided
entertainment as the marchers braved the scorching summer heat.

They converged on the Quirino Grandstand where Pagcor Chair Efraim
Genuino, Dangerous Drugs Board Chairman Vicente Sotto, Manila Mayor
Alfredo Lim, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, and undersecretary
Vilma Labrador joined the program.

The anti-drug czar, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was a no-show
although she was invited.

Lim, a staunch anti-drug campaigner, cited the Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency and the Manila Police's recent raid of a shabu
(methamphetamine hydrochloride) laboratory Saturday and advised
students not to be tempted to use illegal drugs. He said it could
only lead to three destinations - the mental hospital, prison or a cemetery.

Genuino said children were his allies in the fight against illegal
drugs and the heroes of the nation, while Sotto lauded them for
participating in the event which was a big help in the country's
campaign for a drug-free nation.

DDB spokesperson Roxanne Barcelo, Marian Rivera, Nadine Samonte,
Isabel Oli, Yasmien Kurdi, and Rainier Castillo were some of the
actors who graced the event.

Binibining Pilipinas 1st runner-up Miriam Quiambao and Miss Earth
title holders also made their appearance while the Manila Police
District Band, Andrew E., Shamrock, Cueshe, and Hale entertained participants.

Chris Tiu, host of television show "Pinoy Records," also awarded a
citation to the Grand Bida March. And the crowd chanted, "Bida ako,
pasok sa Pinoy records!"