We’ve made this statement before, on Valentine’s Day in 2004. On that day, a reported 5,327 couples simultaneously kissed for a good 10 seconds for Close-Up’s LovaPalooza. Held along a two-kilometer
stretch of Roxas Boulevard, LovaPalooza earned the country a world record for the most number of simultaneous kisses.
We got out-kissed shortly after, however. In 2005, Hungary was proclaimed the center of all kisses. Everybody was surprised to learn that Hungary beat the Philippines by just a few hundred smooches. Suddenly, a cry breaks out among Filipinos… to reclaim our kissing supremacy. And 2007 is said to be the year that we will get our kissing crown back.
A nationwide call started early. The message was clear: the country is in need of more kissers and kisses. In the late afternoon of January 24, a stream of 100 people marched down the streets of Makati. They looked dead serious  about kissing, that is. They donned red-hot T-shirts. They brought with them placards. They bore kiss marks on their faces. They clearly meant business  either you kiss, or be kissed.
These people knew more than a thing or two about kissing. They had been longtime, proud participants in Close-Up’s LovaPalooza. And this time around, they were calling on the country to share "One Big Kiss." Love was definitely in the air, not to mention excitement. It was a lip-smacking, festive occasion as a group of Ati-Atihan dancers grooved down the streets. To the sound of drums, they chanted. To the sound of the drums, they made their way.
They walked towards the Pacific Star Building where the Consulate of Hungary holds office. Consul General Alfonso Yuchengco III came out to meet them, wishing them luck in the upcoming friendly kissing competition.
With luck  and lips  on their side, nothing could keep these kissers’ spirits down. They were clearly prepared to share and spread the love. They continued to call out to the people in preparation for the kissing showdown.
These avid smoochers plan to stage another group kiss today, Feb. 10, at the SM Mall of Asia. According to reports, it would take at least 6,000 couples to kiss Hungary’s record good-bye. Now, who would have thought a kiss could tell more than a thousand tales?
They say that a kiss is the deepest expression of love, the utmost sign of respect, and the ultimate symbol of union between two souls. Today, it is a much-anticipated statement, one that will be heard the world over. February 10 is the day we will make this statement. And hopefully, we can seal our hard-fought victory with a kiss.