Filipino community walks to promote good health

Dubai: The old adage "Health is wealth" may be difficult to live by these days as the food we eat, the stress at work, and lack of exercise, contribute to the many lifestyle diseases.

This challenge to stay healthy pushed more than 300 Filipino expatriates to participate in the Walk For Your Health event at Safa Park yesterday morning. Now on its sixth year, organisers said yesterday's event saw the biggest attendance of Filipino organisations in Dubai.

"The concept of the event which is held every last Friday of March at Safa Park is to gather all Filipinos and promote healthy living," Art Los Banos, Walk For Your Health founder, told Gulf News.

"We conduct blood pressure and pulse rate reading then allow those with good vital signs to walk around the 3.4 kilometre jogging track of the park. Then by 8am we all go inside the park and gather at the amphitheatre for a dance-exercise followed by a health lecture," Los Banos added.

This year's lecture zoomed in on the importance of mental health. In 2007, hypertension was discussed, followed by diabetes in 2008 and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in 2009. A lecture to bust medical myths was the focus in 2010 while the importance of proper stretching was highlighted in 2011.

Philippine Consul General Benito Valeriano, who joined the morning programme, lauded the Filipino community for the initiative and encouraged more participation from the youth in the future.