Bartholomew's Notes

The AP reports from Israel:

Beneath the ancient Jewish desert strongpoint of Masada, the world’s largest flag was unfurled Sunday, covering a large stretch of sandy hinterland.

The huge blue and white Israeli flag, 660 meters (2,165 feet) long and 100 meters (330 feet) wide and weighing 5.2 metric tons, breaks the record for the world’s largest, according to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism.

The flag was created by Filipino businesswoman Grace Galindez-Gupana, and a giant flag of the Philippines was placed alongside it:

“God spoke to me in thunder and lightening,” Galindez-Gupana said. “The Lord said, ‘Make the flag of Israel, the standard of my people.'”

This is the second time God has told Galindez-Gupana to make a flag, and in 2006 she announced the unveiling of the world’s largest flag at Nueva Vizcaya. Galindex-Gupana explained that:

“With our prayers for almost a year and a half, the Lord spoke to us, saying: ‘How can I love you if you yourselves do not even love your country? The first thing that you should do is to lift your flag because it has a spiritual meaning’,” she said.

Alas:

A bid to earn the record for the world’s biggest flag ended in shreds on Saturday when strong winds tore apart a giant Philippine national flag as it was being unfurled at a mountain town north of Manila, an organizer said.

…”Everybody is crying,” Grace Galindez-Gupana told Reuters by mobile phone. “The unfurling of the flag was almost over but a sudden gust of strong winds tore it apart,” said Galindez-Gupana, founder of the HalleluYAH PG Towers Ministries International.

Galindez-Gupina managed to put a positive spin on things, though:

The organizers led by Grace Galindez-Gupana said the torn portion of the four-ton flag resembled the shape of a heart. This showed that “God loves the Philippines, despite all our political and economic turmoils,” the organizers said.

“HalleluYAH PG Towers Ministries International” remains obscure, but Galindez-Gupana is also a successful businesswoman. A profile from Good Housekeeping reposted here has some further background:

From fishball vending at the Quezon City Hall, ABS Bitter Herbs creator Grace Galindez-Gupana went on to establish a multi-million-peso herbal supplements company without the aid of a business or a medical degree.

…It was during a trip to the US in 1998 with this group that Grace met a Filipina with an American husband, who told her to look for 7 types of medicinal vegetables and herbs that can only be found in the Philippines. These herbs, the lady said, was very good for the health. At that time, Grace was incidentally praying for a new business.

…ABS Gen Herbs International Corporation, a 100% Filipino-owned herbal supplement company–which includes a seven-story building in Quezon City and 2 factories Taguig and Rizal–was established by Grace and Paul in 1999. Grace, however, takes no credit in the success of the company. “Nag-bebenta lang ako ng fishball, anong alam ko, di ba?( I was just a lowly fishball vendor. What do I know?)” she self-effacingly shares, “Kaya si Lord talaga ang may bigay ng business na ito. Sa lahat ng desisyon, kinukunsulta namin siya.(That‘s why I can say that God is the one who gave us this business. We consult him in all our decision.)” They must be doing the right thing, because in 2002 the company received a Rising Star Citation from the Golden Shell Awards. It is also the only Filipino herbal supplements company that has received a certification from NSF, a world leader in standards development, product certification, education and risk-management for public health and safety.

Name variation: “Halleluiah PG Towers Ministries International”

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