I missed joining my work colleagues who participated at the Al Noor Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities ‘Superhero Walk for Inclusion 2023’ last March 4. I was not feeling well due to a cough viral infection. They had fun walking around the center’s compound in Al Barsha 1. Some even wore costumes which was the motif of the annual event.
This brings me to the annual walkathon for the Filipino community held every last Friday of March at Safa Park, from 2007 to 2013. We wanted to gather our ‘kababayans’ (compatriots) in a casual way where there will be fun, fellowship and, sometimes, food.
The first two years was a partnership between our CFC community’s social development project called Gawad Kalinga or GK and the Filipino Health Care Providers (FHCP). In the last two years, our CFC community promoted our Answering the Cry of the Poor (ANCOP) program. We believe that if all of us take care of our health we will become more productive. By being more productive we can earn more. By earning more, we can share more. By sharing more, we can be blessed a hundredfold.
The first ‘Walk For Your Health’ event in 2007 was funded by Go Sport, the sports apparel retail business of Nakheel at Ibn Battuta. It was the late Benjie Zabat, who was the then president of the Filipino Dance Club – Dubai, who helped me get Go Sport as the exclusive sponsor. The money given by Go Sport was used to pay for the t-shirts and the entrance fee to the park, including the permit fee.
The participants in all the seven walkathons did not pay a single dirham as there were other sponsors every year such as Roshan Construction, Giordano, UAE Exchange, Euromovers and Tristar. There were also free beverage items, namely Active 02 oxygenated water, Cool Sun juice, Pocari Sweat health drink, Power Horse energy drink and Oasis water.
Three consul generals attended the event: Antonio Curameng (2007), Benito Valeriano (2012) and Frank Cimafranca (2013).
Here are two news on the first and last ‘Walk For Your Health’ editions.
Khaleej Times, March 30, 2007:
“Dr. Rosario Tigno, President of the Filipino Healthcare Providers (FHCP), said that the lack of conscious effort to undergo medical examination in addition to a sedentary lifestyle have led to cardiac disease and even diabetes among Filipinos.
In a bid to raise awareness on the need to safeguard health, the FHCP, in cooperation with the socio-civic group Gawad Kalinga, will organise a walkathon dubbed ‘Walk for your health’ today 6:30am, at Gate 1 of Safa Park.
The walkathon is open for free to everyone and will also feature blood pressure screening before and after the walk.”
Khaleej Times, March 24, 2013:
“Philippine Consul-General Frank Cimafranca has urged all participants at the 7th Walk For Your Health event to maintain a healthy lifestyle so they can continue to work in the UAE and support their families.
Speaking to Filipino expatriates, their families and other nationalities participating in the event, Cimafranca said: “If we are not healthy, we lose our jobs. Our families will then get affected. So we must exercise, like (by) walking every day, and maintain a healthy lifestyle,” the consul-general said after participating in the Zumba dance-exercise session. He had earlier walked around the 3.4km jogging track of the park with his wife and daughter.
A health lecture on detecting breast cancer was also held. The whole programme started with a Zumba dance-exercise conducted by the Filipino Dance Sport and Social Club.
Art Los Banos, event founder, said this annual event is a very good reminder for everyone to maintain a healthy lifestyle. More than 400 people participated this year, with many non-Filipinos joining the event. The other organising groups were from ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor), Alpha Phi Omega, Scout Royale Brotherhood-UAE Council and Filipino Association for Computer Excellence.”
Back to my column. Additional names to mention are Pinoy Expats Auto Club in Emirates (PEACE) Filipino Dancesport and Social Club (FDSC), TROPA, CFC, SFC, YFC, SOLD, HOLD, PBC-Dubai, Filipino Press Club, Cebuano, and UPAA, among others. Plus, Prime Medical Center for providing resource speakers especially Dr. Daffodils Guevarra.
I’m now calling Filipino groups in Dubai to organize again an annual walkathon. I am also challenging the Filipino Social Club or FilSoc to take the lead. Let’s walk for our health and have fun and fellowship.