Clad in an orange cotton shirt and cream khaki pants, 2-year-old David Axel pushes his Thomas the Engine set
and flashes a big, sheepish grin. The morning sunlight shines through the toddler’s jet-black hair, his dark, expressive
eyes sparkling, as Victoria, in her hot pink dress, starts making faces at him. Giggling, DA, as he is fondly called by
everyone, gives off the million-dollar smile that brings sunshine to a brand new day. “Click,” the camera sounds, as the
photographer takes some shots of the two Children’s Joy Foundation ambassadors.
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It’s Vic-Vic’s ninth birthday, and she is celebrating it at the newly-built CJF Residential Center in Davao City. Right now she is wrapping presents to be given to the kids who are living in the new CJF shelter.
“Sana lahat ng bata, masaya,” (I wish all kids were happy) says nine-year-old Victoria Manaday, when asked what her wish was. At a very tender age, Vic-Vic already knows that millions of children are not as blessed as her and her little brother, David, who can eat whatever
they want to and have plenty of beautiful clothes and shoes.
“Sabi ni Pastor (Pastor said), there are many children in our country who are so poor that they sometimes sleep without eating dinner,” Vic-Vic says, her big, innocent eyes compassionate.
And empathy does Vic-Vic have for the less fortunate children, as Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, Founding President of the Children’s Joy Foundation, Inc., always tell her of the plight of the millions
of Filipino children, and why people,
and even kids like her, should care for them.
Since David was a year old, he has been the Children’s Joy Foundation’s ‘little ambassador’. He has become the model of what a child under the care of the Children’s Joy Foundation can be: healthy, happy, taught with moral values and nurtured spiritually. Ever since he was a newborn baby, DA has been in all Children’s Joy Foundation ads.
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Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy wants all destitute children to be like David
Axel and Victoria, who are the ‘ambassadors
of joy’ and the CJF’s inspiration
for the realization of its goal to Feed, Clothe, Shelter and Send to School 3 Million Children.
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“My favorite toy is Barbie!” Victoria
declares. “I used to have 10 of them all in all. But now, there are only three,” she reveals. “Why?” I asked her. “I gave the seven away, Ate, because some girls in Marilog District (Davao City), wanted to have dolls, but they haven’t had even a single Barbie in their whole life,” Victoria
relates the experience she had with the children of Datu Salumay in Marilog District, Davao City, where she had her 8th birthday in 2006. “Nakakaawa sila eh (I pity them). So I gave them my Barbie
dolls and also some of my clothes,” the doe-eyed girl says, as more boxes of toys are brought into the room.
Vic-vic also remembers when the Children’s Joy Foundation took in its care, a dying one-week-old baby from Datu Salumay, named Joseph Ambanao,
also on her 8th birthday. Now a healthy one-year-old, Baby Joseph already has a lot of tricks, which includes opening his toothless
mouth widely and grinning.
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Victoria has learned to give others the same kindness and love she received
when she was taken in by the Foundation in 1998, when she was still two-moths old. Vic-Vic was practically
adopted by the foundation, as her parents were too young at the time to support for her needs. The CJF acted as a foster family
for Victoria in first few years, like it does to thousands,
and now, millions of children.
At 10 a.m., the freshly-painted residential shelter is filled with children who will live in the new CJF home. CJF volunteers, guests, and well-wishers gather at the façade of the 7-room building,
as Victoria does the official ribbon-cutting. Jolly songs of blessings are sung as she leads the way into the residence.
Joy breaks out, as the children excitedly run to their new rooms. Vic-Vic holds her brother, David, by the hand as they both take a peek at each beautifully-
furnished room.
The twosome later join the children in a photo op in front of the bright yellow house. Vic-Vic now puts her right arm on David and her left arm around Baby Joseph, who’s also present
on her birthday party. “Smile,” the photographer says as everyone poses happily.
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