Written by: Kuya Carl Tan, Admin Officer
On a cloudy Saturday afternoon, a surge of noise could be heard in the Franco-Varona Court in Tondo. This was not your usual sound of basketballs being shot and rebounded, but rather, it was the sound of children , excited children swooning over colorful prizes just over the long table, including water shooters, light swords, and a giant teddy bear. Supplementing the children’s noise was the murmuring and conversations of various teenagers and adults, who had gathered for Kuya Mico’s birthday.
Despite this premise, Kuya Mico would not be the center of attention, instead energetic dancing of various volunteers captured the attention of the kids, as if Kuya Mico and his friends were kids themselves. After a short prayer to start off the program, everyone was hyped up and energized when the host greeted the kids. After grouping the kids into teams, it was time for some games, the Ates and Kuyas from U! Happy hosted Bring Me Art and In or Out, both of which the kids gleefully enjoyed. Between the kids’ chanting of their team’s color to determine the winner of Bring Me Art, or their tireless screaming of “JESUS” to notify their completion of the In or Out circle, the sound of the participants trumped even those of the speakers. There were even moments where the Ates and Kuyas of the group were more competitive for prizes than the kids were, sparking some friendly competition between teams.
After the conclusion of the games, they sat this kids down to tell them the biblical story of Jonah and the Whale. With fluid storytelling and visual representation, the kids’ eyes were glued to the front of the court like magnets on a fridge. After discussing the morals and values in the story, it was finally time for food. After all, who wouldn’t have worked up an appetite with all the screaming, games, and dancing that’s been taking place. After a delicious meal, the Ates and Kuyas decided it was time to bring out the large prizes that had been sitting in the background for so long. They announced that they would give the gifts away through a raffle.
As the large prizes disappeared one by one, with kid after kid happily receiving their new toy, some kids started getting upset that they were not winning. Kuya Mico and his friends were prepared, and as they had an assortment of toys, food, and canned goods for all of the kids, making sure that no child went home empty handed that day.
After a final song and a joyous singing of Happy Birthday to Kuya Mico, it was time for the kids to go home, with Kuya Mico saying a few words of gratitude and acknowledgment as they left. The noisy day had finally come to a close, and the kids went home with happy hearts, which meant more to Kuya Mico than the physical gifts he had given them.
There was not a soul in that court that didn’t have fun, and on his birthday Kuya Mico truly reached out and extended his blessings to others. It was as if an angel had visited Tondo that day.
