The Philippines set a new Guiness world record of 5,747 in forming the largest image of a human lung as part of the country's commemoration of the World Tuberculosis Day in Manila on Saturday.

The event, organized by the Department of Health (DOH), was held at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila and attended by thousands from around 5 am to 10 am.

It surpassed India's previous record of 5,003 set in 2017 as over 5,596 participants gathered in Manila to raise awareness about TB. The number is lower than the earlier projection of the DOH that over 8,000 participants will join.

The record breaking success was confirmed by the representative of the Guinness World Record during the event.

"The total people coming in is 5,747, However there are some people left, so disqualified are 151, but the total still beat the record 5,596," the Guinness representative said.

Herbosa said the event was held to raise global awareness about TB.

"Our attempt to break the Guinness World Record isn't just about setting records. It’s a call to action and a show of our shared commitment to overcome the challenges posed by tuberculosis," he said.

The Philippines has the third-highest number of TB cases worldwide.

In 2023, DOH data shows that there were 549 new and relapsed TB cases per 100,000 population.

Among the participants were Angela Joyce Bacani and Kyle Noblejas, both 20 years old, who are members of the Sangguniang Kabataan Committee of Barangay Progreso in San Juan City.

Bacani said they arrived at the Quirino Grandstand at 3 am, three hours before while the activity started.

"I think this kind of activity is important because not all of the youths now have knowledge regarding this. We are happy because we were able to contribute to our history, to be part of the Guinness World Record," she said.

Noblejas said they also want to show their support for the government's effort to stop the bad habits that can cause TB. Robina Asido/DMS