Drilon takes ice bucket challenge

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Franklin Drilon yesterday took the ice bucket challenge seeking to raise funds and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Wearing a barong, Drilon was doused with two buckets of ice-cold water at his Senate office.

He said he will be making a donation to the Philippine General Hospital-Neurosciences department where some ALS patients are confined.

Drilon was among the senators who took on the worldwide ice bucket campaign, which had gone viral on Facebook.

Senators Juan Edgardo Angara, Bam Aquino and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had earlier taken the ALS ice bucket challenge.

The Senate president was nominated by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas. In turn, Drilon dared Gawad Kalinga’s Tony Meloto, Gina Lopez of ABS-CBN’s Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation and Alfonso Siy of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry to do the same.

In choosing Meloto, Drilon said he had partnered with Gawad Kalinga for the construction of low-cost housing units in Iloilo for 1,000 families.