Students, civic groups try to break Guinness' longest coin line

MANILA, Philippines - Thousands of students and and members of civic groups converged yesterday at the Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park in Manila to participate in laying 25 centavo coins in an attempt to break the Guinness World Records’ longest coin line.

The record is 64.88 kilometers long, held by the United States since 2008.

The Kabayanihan Foundation, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the City of Manila organized the daylong activity that started at about 9 a.m. at the park’s parade grounds that could accommodate a 100-kilometer line of coins.

Kabayanihan spokesman Gerry Gomez said the target is to complete a coin line ranging from 75 to 100 kilometers in the early evening and representatives of Guinness World Records would document the event.

He said the proceeds of the event, expected to reach P1.3 million, will serve as seed capital for the foundation’s school building program in remote areas in the country.

The program is also part of a campaign to promote the circulation of 25-centavo coins, he added.

At least 15 schools from various parts of Metro Manila sent students who brought coins to participate in the event.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim in behalf of the city government donated P62,000 to help fund the event.

Personnel of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas converted the cash or check donations into 25-centavo coins.

As of press time yesterday, half of the parade ground was already filled with lines of coins and the activities will continue until their goal is achieve.

The longest line of coins was set on July 12, 2008 when residents of Fort Scott, Kansas in the US completed a coin line measuring 64.88 kilometers.

The Americans used 3 million pennies or 1-cent coins.

The previous world record of 55.63 kilometers was set in Malaysia in 1995.