CCT's street children to join Peace and Unity swim

MANILA, Philippines –  At least 1,000 members, including street children, of a civic organization called the Center for Community Transformation, are participating in the epic Peace and Unity Swim, a marathon swimming relay that aims to break the Guinness record, on Dec. 10 at the Diliman Preparatory School on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.

CCT president Ruth Callanta pledged the participation of the organization during a meeting with Susan Papa, Dr. Susan Benasa and Sonia Baltazar of the Susan Papa Swimming Academy during their visit at the CCT complex in Tagaytay City.

The CCT joins the DPS, which is fielding over 4,000 students, faculty members and employees in the event which aims to gather swimmers from various walks of life to swim one lap one at a time to break the Guinness record for a 24-hour, non-stop swimming relay in an 18.3-meter swimming pool.

The swimming pool was built by the DPS for the purpose.

The existing record was achieved by 5,028 swimmers in Italy last July.

Former Sen. Nikki Coseteng, DPS president and chief executive officer, spearheads the advocacy run also supported by Freego, the Philippine Sports Commission, the Departments of Education and Health, the Philippine College of Physicians and other members of the government, private and religious sector.

Other supporters of the event are US-based Fil-Am veteran swimmers led by coach Serafin Villarete of Sta. Maria, California.

The CCT, an organized Christian response against poverty and social injustice, serves urban and rural poor communities throughout the Philippines, in pursuit of its desire to see changed lives, strong families, and transformed communities centered on the leadership of Jesus Christ.

“In the Susan Papa Academy we transform the lives of every swimmer. We discipline every swimmer, we want them to be good swimmers and to be righteous individuals,” said Papa, who is a member of a Christian group called New Life. “We join the Holy Spirit in God’s work of transforming lives and communities.”

In welcoming the street children and members of CCT, Papa said she wants to discover future champions from less fortunate members of society and hopes to achieve this through SPSA’s outreach program for the CCT’s street children.

The CCT was founded in 1992 by development practitioners who believe that development srategies could best be achieved by enabling the spirituality of a person.