Events: Jam Step a Huge Success, Organizers Overjoyed

Bacolod lone district Congressman Dr. Anthony Golez, practically stuck out his tongue at his detractors primarily Councilor Homer Bais, believed to be a front man of the majority party headed by the Bacolod mayor. The Bacolod solon declared that the tens of thousands of schoolchildren who participated in the aerobics Jam Step came in full numbers, with the crowd swelling to its peak at more or less 87,700.

Earlier, the Bacolod congressman estimated that the participants in the aerobics exercise meant to promote an ongoing healthy lifestyle at only 40,000-50,000 school kids starting from grade five up to high school.

Sunday last week, in spite of the rain which later became drenching, sustained phenomenon, the schoolchildren came in droves and although the event presented some problems with traffic, it did not appear to be serious enough to prove a hindrance to the affair.

Before the Jam Step, detractors including a president of the Parents-Teachers’ Community Association (PTCA) kept up a barrage of criticisms to force Golez to desist from going ahead with the activity. Not even the rain stopped the schoolchildren from proceeding to the old Bacolod City airport are in the southern part of the city owned by Filipino-Chinese taipan, Lucio Tan.

The detractors were led by Councilor Homer Bais known as a member of the Voltes Five, political allies of Mayor Evelio Leonardia who have been accused more than once of alleged irregularities in the dispensation of city government funds.

“Children have spoken. Nothing is impossible if they are united. Nothing is impossible if those in the majority act decisively.”

He further explained that the aerobics exercise would be conducted once again in July this year and would involve the schoolchildren in the whole country from Cagayan to Sulu. By then, millions of children will have participated in the Jam Step dance exercise. which could augur all the good for collective action. He added that thousands of mineral water in plastic containers which had not been consumed by participants could be given as relief assistance to thousands of quake victims in several towns and cities of Negros Oriental province.

Aside from foodstuffs which the town and cityfolks in the province need, the latest report indicated that there is an acute lack of drinking water in the area.

The mobilization carried out by school officials was primarily voluntary and hardly coercive. Parents with their children on board about 3,000 buses and passenger jeepneys as well as vehicles volunteered by supporters ferried the children to the Jam Step site.

The children did the aerobics exercise-cum-dance step with gusto and this went on for 30 minutes.

This could land in the Guinness Book of World Records. The record-holder is India with a few thousand children. They had made sure that those behind Guinness were informed properly about the event which, aside from promoting a healthy lifestyle, would try to break the world record, explained Golez.

A vantage view of the whole area already occupied by children was splashed in a national newspaper yesterday morning.

The possible number of participants was properly measured with the assignment of Reserve Officers Training Corps Cadets (ROTC), dividing the children into easily accountable figures, said Golez, while organizers conclude that a single person could occupy less than a meter of ground space for himself or her. The whole 2,000 meters long old Bacolod Airport runway with its width of 40 meters was occupied by the children dancing to the tune of popular music video.

Organizers were themselves surprised because they did not expect such a big number of people.

As far as their count was concerned, they had earlier determined that it was reliable.

With the huge success of the first Jam Step, they hope to invite Filipino-Italian singer Bruno Mars to become one of the leaders in the activity.
Entertainment personalities such as former beauty queen Daisy Reyes graced the occasion.

Children and parents were willing to take risks and nothing is impossible as far as children are concerned, said Golez.

In reference to Councilor Homer Bais, the Bacolod Congressmanquipped “Mapati pa kamo sa iya?”

A positive effect and result of Jam Step is that he found out in his campaign that several subvillages are not yet lighted by CENECO and therefore, he is determined to use his PDAF funds for lighting purposes.*