Written by: Ate Charmain Tan, External Vice President
It was another busy saturday as we got ready for one of our three events of the day. Our team headed to Bahay Aruga to celebrate the 87th birthday of Dr Oscar Banez. The event was organized by Ate Pamela, Ate Kay and their family. Her sister Ate Kay is a cancer survivor herself, being well for the last seven years. As these children are close to their hearts they wanted to celebrate their father’s birthday with them. Bahay Aruga is a free halfway house for children undergoing chemo treatment. There are currently 30 children living in Bahay Aruga. Most of these kids go to Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for treatment and surgeries. It is located in San Marcelino, Manila and is headed by Miss Mayet.
As Dr Oscar arrived all the children welcomed him with a Happy Birthday song. One of the kids gave him a bouquet of flowers. Dr Oscar was all smiles as he happily blew his birthday candle as sat with the kids. His family arrived with him and we introduced them to the kids. We then formed the kids into group and at the ates and kuyas joined the teams.
They were divided into four teams. Team Boom Boom Shell of Ate Carla, Ate Michelle’s Team Ba, which was short for Bahay Aruga, Team Voltes 5 of Ate Pamela and Dr Oscar, and Team Survivor of Ate Kay, being a survivor herself. The volunteers got to know the kids better. They asked the kids what their favorite food was. Some of the favorites were paksiw, itlog, kare kare, and of course, adobo. The kids and their mothers come from provinces like Laguna, Bataan, and others.
After getting to know one another we played our first game, Pass the Shape. Each team formed a circle. The first person in each team would come to the front and we gave them the item. The person had to pass the shape to the next person by drawing it on his back. They kept passing until they reached the last person, who then had to draw the item on a paper. The first team that hands over the correct drawing wins. The shapes we gave were balloon, bag, house, and others. It was fun to watch as they tried to figure out the correct shape. Ate Kay was very competitive as she was nudging her husband to hurry and run to the front. In the end Ate Kay’s team won the game.
The second activity we did was Paper Ring Relay. Everyone was given sticks that they put in their mouth. The first person in the team had to get one paper ring and put it on the stick. He then had to pass the ring to the next person by passing it though the sticks in their mouths. They had to do this without holding the sticks nor the rings. The team that passed the most number of rings within the given time got a point. It was fun to watch the volunteers and the mothers of the children participate in the game. In the end it was again Ate Kay’s team who came out as the winner.
The kids then got to enjoy a performance of the magician Kuya Click. He did the favorite tricks like doves flying out of books. The kids were so happy when the doves flew and they kept clapping and cheering. Some of the toddlers were smiling and got really excited. Kuya Click let them touch the doves. There were polka dot umbrellas popping out from nowhere and a bag that seemed to have never ending boxes inside. Kuya Click also made a hamster appear on a platter and made a table levitate.
After the activities we got to enjoy our lunch prepared by Ate Pamela and her family. They gave out lots of gifts to the kids. Everyone got pillows, coloring books, bags, lego set, and craft materials. All the kids were so happy with the gifts they got. Dr Oscar also shared his birthday cake to all the kids and their mothers.
These kids are so little yet they have to fight so much to survive. The smiles on their faces mean a lot to us and is a constant reminder of how lucky were are. The mothers have to stay strong for their children and we do pray for a full recovery for each of them.
