ZAMBOANGA City Mayor Khymer Olaso has welcomed on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, endurance hiker Ferdinand Dela Merced, accompanying the latter on foot from Governor Alvarez Avenue, Camino Nuevo village to City Hall.
Dela Merced, 48, also called “The Philippine Looper” arrived at City Hall Tuesday noon. He was also accompanied by the members of the Zamboanga Runners Club PH.
Olaso welcomed Dela Merced with tokens of appreciation, including a City Hall sketch, a Hermosa Festival shirt, and a souvenir cup, while Dela Merced signed a pair of his running slippers in gratitude.
Olaso also personally gave Dela Merced cash from his own pocket, along with a T-shirt bearing his family name, as a gesture of encouragement and support for his remarkable effort to reach Zamboanga City.
The warm welcome included the fabulous performance of the city government brass band at the main entrance of City Hall.
Starting his Zamboanga leg from Vitali village three days earlier, Dela Merced continued his nationwide campaign promoting health, discipline, and community spirit.
He will carry his message of endurance, unity and tourism as walks toward the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
Dela Merced said in a press conference that he found Zamboanga City welcoming and friendly, with approachable people and a vibrant sense of community that made his walk even more inspiring.
Dela Merced walks an average of 20 to 25 kilometers daily, carrying a 20-kilogram backpack and a small Philippine flag.
In hiking parlance, a “looper” refers to a hiker who completes a circuit or loop trail.
To date, there has been no official record of anyone completing a walking loop through all 82 provinces of Philippine—a feat that, if completed, would make Dela Merced the first documented person to do so.
Dela Merced’s mission began on January 2, 2025, with the goal of walking from northern to southern Philippines and back, carrying a message of resilience, national pride, and hope, while also searching for leads about his missing father. (SunStar Zamboanga)