by Robert E. Roperos

Butuan City (October 27) -- The City Government here joined the United Nations family in its Stand Up (Tumayo Tayo) campaign in line with its commitment to contribute to the attainment of the Millenium Development Goals during the flag ceremony conducted recently at the planned site of the Butuan Historical Park.

The Tumayo Tayo is an innovative and exciting global challenge to set an official Guinness World Record for the greatest number of people ever to Stand Up against poverty. It is also a mobilization initiative designed to coincide with global mobilizations around the White Band Day of the Global Call to fight poverty.

The activity also showcases laudable efforts and accomplishments towards the attainment of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as it poses the challenge for sustaining and even accelerating the efforts.

Among the goal of the activity is to have at least one million Filipinos stand up and be counted.

The campaign encourages the participation of the large number of national and local partners including people's organizations, national government, local government units, non-government organizations, the private sector, academe and media.

As a support to this effort, employees of the Butuan City Hall and some national government agencies and the private sectors and academe participated the flag-raising ceremony where recitation of the Tumayo Tayo pledge and the launching of the Butuan Historical Park highlighted the event.

It can be recalled that the Butuan Historical Park is a tribute and a showcase of the MDG-related services and initiatives of the present Administration of this city where it is expected that the park will be functional in the year 2015.