Dancing to fitness via Zumba is now a craze in a small community in Brgy. Rio Tuba in the town of Bataraza, almost 100 and more mothers join the nightly sweat to a healthier you program that started from a housewife who wants to find new dancing buddies just to lose weight.
42 year old Mary Jane Turqueza started the idea of gathering her neighbours for a new you personal campaign, they started in the barangay hall with just 19 friends last February 25, and it spread like wildfire to other sitios and to their surprise, they are now doing exercise at the barangay gymnasium with hundreds of mothers even men passionately dance every night that usually starts at 6:00 in the evening till 9:00.
“Parang laro-laro lang ‘to naming magbabarkada, magkakapitbahay, tapos lumaki na, nag-ga-gaya lang kami sa mga videos sa youtube, effective naman,” Turqueza said.
The said group is already in the process of making their team a legit organization as many companies and other aid started to pour in, they already require membership fee but attending the dance sessions remains free for those who cannot pay the membership dues of P100.
“Ngayong pandemic ‘di ba walang magawa ang mga tao, magkain at magtanim lang, kaya andaming tumaba kaya naisip ko ‘to, nasimulan ko na noon sa barangay din mga 5 years ago ‘di lang nauso,” Turqueza added.
The Rio Tuba Fitness Club at present have now 50 members, they are still thankful to the barangay council for allowing them to use the Gym, projectors and even laptop to have a great experience in doing exercises.
At present the community is free with COVID-19 risk, that’s the reason they are at ease somehow in some protocols, but Turqueza clarified that they strictly followed some measures like wearing masks and social distancing.
“Ready man kami ‘pag maghigpit si IATF, ‘yung mga mothers sinabihan ko na magdala ng USB para mag kopya ng mga videos para kahit sa bahay sila-sila lang pwede pa rin mag Zumba,” Turqueza said.
The organization hopes to re-echo the program to other towns, and they are also looking for some sponsors who could give them exercise mat, drinking tumblers and uniforms, and projectors and speakers that they can use every night.