INC set new world records

MALOLOS CITY—The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) se two new Guinness World records as it celebrated its centennial at the Ciudad De Victoria complex in Bocaue, Bulacanon July 27.

As this developed, northbound lane of the North Luzon Expressway was completely blocked on Sunday morning, while on the southbound lane where two counterflow lanes were opened vehicle speed is reduced to less than 20 kilometers per hour before noon time.

Task Force Sentenaryo head Francis Tolentino, the chair of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) estimated that at least 2-Million members of the religious organization participated in the centennial celebrations at the Ciudad de Victoria.

Millions other members of the INC across the country and more than 100 countries watched Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo’s homily via live streaming video.

According to Edwil Zabala, INC spokesperson, the Guinness Book of Book of Records handed two new awards to the religious organization.

This includes the world’s largest gospel choir, and the largest mixed indoor arena in the world.

Based on records, at least 4,774 members of the INC joined its centennial choir yesterday.

It eclipsed the previous record of 1,700 choir member held by the United States.

The INC said that a total of 10,000 members prepared to joined the choir, but some members did not make it on time due to heavy traffic in going to the Ciudad the Victoria.

Traffic along the NLEX started late Saturday afternoon which delayed northbound motorists.

Some bus passengers interviewed late Saturday night said that it took them two hours to reach Malolos City from Balintawak toll plaza in Quezon City.

Hundreds of thousands of people started to gather at the Ciudad de Victoria on Saturday afternoon, and endured the heavy downpour  early Saturday evening but were treated with a 25-minute fireworks display before midnight.

The traffic went from bad to worst until noon time on Sunday as the northbound lane of the NLEX from Marilao to Bocaue toll plaza was complete blocked.

This is due to buses and private vehicles parked along the NLEX’s northbound lane.  Some of the vehicles were towed earlier for illegal parking.

However, by morning, Tolentino implemented a contingency plan by opening a two-lane counterflow on the NLEX southbound lane.

Before 10 AM,  traffic flow on the counterflow lane was still good, but as more INC members depart from the Ciudad de Victoria, vehicle movements on the counterflow lane and the southbound lane was reduced to less than 20 kilometer per hour.

Tolentino said that traffic along the NLEX might last until Monday morning as INC members depart from the venue of the centennial celebrations.

As this developed, Bro. Eduardo Manalo hailed the INC’s phenomenal growth in the last 100 years.

In his homily, Manalo said that from 2009 to 2014, a total of 603 new INC churches were built, of which, 552 are in the Philippines, while the rest were built abroad.

The executive minster also said that 359 other churches went under renovation within the same period.  Dino Balabo