www.thefilipinochronicle.com
SEPTEMBER 21, 2024
Walk for Hawai’i Filipinos’ Health
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et us celebrate the first Hawai’i Walk For Health! Last August 11th, several Filipino organizations and supporters successfully held the Lakad Para sa Kalusugan, or Walk for Health, Hawai’i’s first “walk as a community” initiative. In other U.S. states, Lakad Para sa Kalusugan has brought Filipinos together to promote physical activity and wellness within the warm embrace of community spirit. Over a hundred Hawai’i Filipinos walked for a good cause and raised issues affecting the community’s health such as livable wages, migrant rights, and
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affordable housing. This event was organized by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Hawai’i (UPAAH), the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), and the Hawai’i Workers Center (HWC). The first two groups UPAAH and NAFCON advocate for the rights and welfare of Filipinos who form the majority of their members, while HWC is a non-profit center serving low-wage workers in Hawai’i, many of whom are Filipinos.
Walking with the community for health The Walk promoted
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Obesity in Women | S4 Colon Cancer | S8 Glucose Monitoring | S9 Kidney Disease | S11
walking as a healthy activity for the heart, lungs, muscles, brain, and mood. It is generally believed that a good walk is about 10,000 steps, and for most people, this is equivalent to ~8 kilometers, or 5 miles, per day. Walking is easy, free, and accessible to almost everyone. Our Hawaii communities generally have walk-friendly spaces and we should use these spaces. Walking activities are also ways to learn so much - about our bodies, our relationships with each other, and the community! By walking, we get to meet new people! You see, walking is very beneficial! Participants of the Walk also enjoyed the stretching and escrima activities that were planned. “Our health is our most valuable asset. Without it, we can accomplish nothing in life,” said Johnny Verzon, a martial arts practi-
by Dr. Arcelita Imasa
tioner who led the escrima session in the Walk. “There is no such thing as “I do not have time.” We all have 24 hours in a day. It is what we do with our time. Make time to take care of our health – mind, body, and spirit.” Another community member who took the bus from Kalihi to be able to join the Walk with his doctor shared his enthusiasm about the event. “It is a great idea to promote walking as a good exercise, but it is really something else to do walking with the community who cares! Please hold another Walk next year!” he shared. For Mylene Reyes, current president of the UPAAH, organizing the Walk was not a walk in the park but felt it was a worthwhile endeavor. “When we organized the Walk, we were thinking of creating a family-friendly, community event that
will also help raise awareness about health issues faced by the Filipino community in Hawaii,” Reyes said. Reyes also said that scouting the location for the event was just the first step. “As soon as we decided that Central Oahu (Aiea) was a good choice, we immediately thought about designing the Walk’s path within the grassy part of the part. The Walk also featured creative stakes containing health-related information that was placed on the ground throughout the path,” she shared. Dr. Rainier Bautista who is the current president of the Philippine Medical Association of Hawai’i, which helped sponsor the Walk, said: “We did the Walk not only for good physical health. Not a lot of our patients receive culturally sensitive care, and I believe the Walk brings this issue out in the open (continue on S2)