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Philippines claims record in organ donor pledges
Students from the country's state university, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, wave their "lifeline forms" indicating their willingness to donate their internal organs during a nationwide campaign Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 in Manila, Philippines in hopes of breaking a Guinness World Record for "Most People to Sign Up as Organ Donor". Two attempts were made, one for the one-hour category which already unofficially broke the record established by India and the ongoing 8-hour category. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
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Students from the country's state university, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, wave their "lifeline forms" indicating their willingness to donate their internal organs during a nationwide campaign Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 in Manila, Philippines in hopes of breaking a Guinness World Record for "Most People to Sign Up as Organ Donor". Two attempts were made, one for the one-hour category which already unofficially broke the record established by India and the ongoing 8-hour category. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
(AP)—The Philippines has broken India's record of gathering the most organ donor pledges in an hour at a single site, health officials said Friday. The feat awaits the Guinness World Records' official confirmation.
Health Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag said the campaign gathered 3,548 pledges at an event held at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines' Manila campus, beating India's previous record of 2,755.
At the event, aimed at raising awareness about organ donation, volunteers filled out forms with a checklist of organs they are willing to donate upon death. Those forms were then checked and recorded by organizers.
"We have a lot of countrymen who are in dire need of organs and this is part of the goal of the Department of Health to remove the stigma attached to donating organs," Tayag said.
He said the record was still unofficial because there were no Guinness adjudicators present. Documented results will be sent to the records body.
The Philippines also hopes to top India's record of 10,450 pledges in a single site in eight hours, and to set new records for the most number of donors signing up in one hour and eight hours in multiple sites.
Aside from Manila, simultaneous registration of donors was held in five other cities.
A Department of Health staff authenticates the "lifeline" form of students from the country's state university, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, indicating their willingness to donate their internal organs during a nationwide campaign Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 in Manila, Philippines in hopes of breaking a Guinness World Record for "Most People to Sign Up as Organ Donor". Two attempts were made, one for the one-hour category which already unofficially broke the record established by India and the ongoing 8-hour category. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
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A Department of Health staff authenticates the "lifeline" form of students from the country's state university, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, indicating their willingness to donate their internal organs during a nationwide campaign Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 in Manila, Philippines in hopes of breaking a Guinness World Record for "Most People to Sign Up as Organ Donor". Two attempts were made, one for the one-hour category which already unofficially broke the record established by India and the ongoing 8-hour category. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
The results for the other record attempts were not yet available.