Miriam Quiambao bonds with Payatas Kids

CEBU, Philippines - What better way to start a beautiful school year than to meet, greet, and have lunch with a beauty queen!

This year’s new batch of 50 Bless-a-Child beneficiaries had a great time bonding with Miriam Quiambao, who paid them a special visit in Payatas last June 2.

The preschool-ready kids listened attentively to Miriam as she read to them the touching children’s book Sandosenang Sapatos by Dr. Luis Gatmaitan. She even asked questions to her very young and eager audience. Afterwards, Miriam sat with the children as they enjoyed their simple lunch.

“I feel blessed with these children. I can see their energy, their smiles, the light in their eyes,” said Miriam. “It’s amazing. It makes you feel energized and young as well.”

The host and actress helped one girl named Princess finish her meal. Princess and her fellow beneficiaries are all underweight and undernourished. Bless-a-Child hopes to correct that by serving them free nutritious lunches for the whole school year. Not only that—these 50 kids are also provided with free preschool education and regular medical checkups, much to their parents’ delight!

Bless-a-Child is a component of Operation Blessing Foundation Philippines’ (OB) community transformation program. It aims to uplift not just malnourished children in Payatas but their impoverished families as well.

Select parents of Bless-a-Child beneficiaries are given microenterprise projects, or equipped with livelihood skills so they can financially support their families.

Miriam saw an example of this as she visited an ongoing Mobile Out-of-School Training (MOST) in Payatas, where 22 residents availed of free courses in dressmaking and refrigeration and air-conditioning repair.

“I find OB as one of the works of God. Being with OB is an expression of love for the people,” Miriam observed. “Operation Blessing is really a worthy cause.”

As a friend of OB, Miriam rallies everyone to pitch in for Bless-a-Child so more Filipino children in underserved communities will gain a better chance in life.

“If you have extra time or extra funds, the arms of OB are open to whatever you can share. It’s an amazing experience how God is working through OB to share His love.”

To learn how you can support Bless-a-Child and other Operation Blessing programs, call (02) 812-0592 or visit www.obphil.com.

Operation Blessing Foundation Philippines is the humanitarian arm of the Christian Broadcasting Network Asia, producer of the daily inspirational show The 700 Club Asia.