Iglesia countdown breaks 3 world records

MANILA, Philippines – The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) greeted the New Year with three Guinness world records.

After more than an hour of setting off colorful pyrotechnics, the INC broke Norway’s world record of having the largest fireworks display.

It had also successfully broken the world record of having the “longest line of sparklers lit in a relay” and “most sparklers lit simultaneously.”

Guinness World Records official adjudicator Christina Conlon confirmed the three world records

“We were able to announce the certificates for the three titles that were attempted tonight by the Iglesia Ni Cristo: the longest line of sparklers lit in relay, the most sparklers lit simultaneously and the largest fireworks display,” she said.

About 2,000 people took part in two of the Guinness events, namely for the sparklers lit in relay and for sparklers lit simultaneously, according to INC spokesman Edwil Zabala.

The fireworks display lasted for about an hour, he added.

Guinness officials also recognized the INC for having the largest-paying audience for a movie premier, “Felix Manalo.” It was earlier reported that 43,624 people watched the movie premiere.

Shown in cinemas last October, the almost three-hour movie is a historical-biographical dramatization of the life of Felix Manalo, the first INC executive minister. 

Guinness made the announcement on   the movie on the night of Dec. 31, while the three other announcements were done in the early morning of Jan. 1.

INC chief legal counsel and Ang Maligaya Development Corp. chief operating officer Glicerio Santos IV organized the New Year’s countdown to 2016 that concluded the longest fireworks display with around 700,000 pieces lit up for almost an hour.

The INC’s New Year countdown was held at the Philippine Arena in Ciudad de Victoria, Bocaue, Bulacan, the world’s largest outdoor arena.

 It was shown on INCTV and Net25 – the INC-run television network with  more than 100,000 INC members and non-members attending.

Hosting the fireworks display were actors Bela Padilla and Sam Yg. It started at midnight and ended after almost an hour.

Among the performers for the night were Pops Fernandez, Erik Santos, Angeline Quinto, Janice Javier, Jessica Reynoso, Apl.de.ap., Arnel Pineda, Wally Bayola, Jose Manalo and Paolo Ballesteros.