(CNN Philippines) – Thousands of Filipinos formed a giant human peace sign on Sunday (May 24) marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War 2.
Throngs of supporters in white shirts gathered at an open parking lot in Manila and joined hands to form the international sign of peace.
Organizers from Sending Good Vibes Foundation, a non-profit group campaigning for a positive outlook, said they wanted to highlight the importance of maintaining peace in society.
“We actually want to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two. We would want to crusade for peace to condemn war because nobody would want another war to transpire again,” said Good Vibes Foundation Vice President Miles Gamboa.
Sending Good Vibes President Fernando Gamboa said recent tensions with neighboring countries like China can be resolved through dialogue.
“With regards to China, I believe there is nothing that cannot be resolved without actually discussing. The problem is the lack of communication and the ego of leaders. But if people will sit down and discuss, they can always resolve whatever problem there is.”
The speed of recent Chinese reclamation work has alarmed its neighbors and the United States, which sees it as a potential threat to the status quo in a region through which $5 trillion of sea-borne trade passes each year.
China claims 90% of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea, with overlapping claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
China, which has asked Washington not to take sides in the row, says it is willing to discuss the issue with individual countries directly involved in the dispute.
However, it has refused to participate in an international arbitration case filed by the Philippines in The Hague over the contested waterway.
