Filipinos in Saudi help set world record for breast cancer awareness

Filipino women in Saudi Arabia played a key role in setting a world record by wearing pink tops and scarves to generate awareness on breast cancer. The Filipinas were among expatriates who joined Saudi women in the Zahra Breast Cancer Association-organized event at the Ministry of Education Stadium in Jeddah. Over 5,000 women gathered to create the world's largest-ever human pink ribbon, news site Arab News reported Friday. The attendance at Thursday’s event easily beat the previous record of 3,640 set in Germany in 2007, the report said. "Saudis and foreign residents, including Arabs, Indonesians, Americans, British, Filipinos and Asians, had been streaming into the stadium since 5 p.m. Only those with transport problems and young children left early," it said. However, the report quoted organizers as saying around 1,000 left before the actual formation of the ribbon due to delays in getting the people organized. Still, Arab News said the women broke the record within the first two hours of the event, as both Saudis and expatriate residents came out in droves to support one single yet very important cause. Riyadh-based Zahra Breast Cancer Association organized the event. Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, founding member of the association, led the campaign held under the support of the Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Foundation. Princess Reema said the private sector and the government have been very supportive of the foundation’s breast cancer awareness initiative. “Let it be known that as of this day, ignorance is no longer an excuse and no woman should be allowed to be left to suffer in silence," she had said at the launch of the awareness campaign. The report said thousands of pink scarves were distributed at the entrance gate and the women returned them to the organizers when they left. The pink human chain, consisting of both Saudis and expatriate residents donning the pink tops and scarves, was built in the shape of the global ribbon of breast cancer awareness. One of the participants was 26-year-old math teacher Aseel Hindi who came all the way from Makkah. “We knew about the event through Facebook three days ago, and we as friends managed to gather and come a long distance to be part of the new Guinness record for the first time ever in our lives," she said. Over 100 media outlets from around the globe also attended, the Arab News report said. Breast cancer is the most-diagnosed form of cancer in Saudi Arabia, accounting for 12.4 percent of all cancers and 23.6 percent of cancers among women, according to a study by the Saudi Cancer Registry. –VVP, GMANews.TV