Swimming for summer? Enchong Dee envisions 'drown-free' Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — This is a rhetorical question a number of Filipinos must find uneasy to answer: "Can you swim?"
How often have you come across a friend who confessed to not knowing how to swim, or at the very least, "float"? Isn't it surprising, considering that the Philippines is an archipelago?
Actor Enchong Dee wants to see more Filipinos know how to swim. This is coming from the former champion and varsity swimmer of De La Salle University.
Philippine statistics on drowning cases do not look good. From 2006 to 2013, 3,276 people die each year of drowning and submersion. It is the second-leading cause of death among children aged 14 years and below.
“About eight persons die every day due to drowning, and more were reported to be victims of near drowning [10 cases per day],” said the country report presented at the World Conference on Drowning Prevention (WCDP) in 2011.
April has the highest number of incidence of deaths, at 365, caused by drowning and submersion on the same inclusive years. May had 316 reported deaths. These are known as the summer months in the country where people usually flock to beaches, rivers, lakes or pools.
The pandemic might reduce these numbers but a life that could be lost to the waters still is a life worth saving.
And Enchong wants to continue his passion project which he had been doing for some time.
The actor has been coordinating with the Bert Lozada Foundation, Inc. which has been spearheading the "Drown-free Philippines" campaign through his own "Handong Palangoy" initiative.
"I want to continue my Handog Palangoy by doing it virtually. This is a resolution but at the same time my goal for this year. Sabi ko maybe I can share and educate more people about basic swimming lessons and water safety if I can do it online. This is something I want to finish before summer kasi 'di ba ito 'yung gusto natin i-encourage talaga and I always dream of a 'drown-free Philippines.' Katulad nga ng sinasabi ko, this is something that we should be educated about," the actor shared on his YouTube channel recently, where he talked about his New Year resolutions.
Summer is in two months, and if you're one of those who can't swim or knows someone who can't, then perhaps it's time to take up the course. As Enchong said, swimming is something that Filipinos should be educated about since we live in islands that are surrounded by waters.
