Jomarwin gets TV from donor

For close to a week, little Jomarwin Torlao cried for his mother as he lay in pain in his hospital bed. He was one of those seriously wounded in the gruesome Rizal Day bombings in Metro Manila, which killed 22 people.

But his mother Rosa-leah, who lives in a squatters’ area in Cavite, had no idea that her son had lost his father and a leg when a bomb exploded in a Light Rail Transit coach. Despite the constant airing of video footage of Jomarwin (initially identified as "Emmanuel"), Rosaleah was unaware that her son was among those permanently maimed by the blasts.

This was because Ro-saleah did not have a television set in her shanty and had no money to buy newspapers.

Yesterday, a Good Samaritan named Cham Tian Kua and his family decided to bring a 14-inch color TV to Torlao in the hospital to help ease the pain of Jomarwin’s recuperation.

Cham was among the STAR readers who responded to the newspaper’s fund drive for the victims of the bombing and the families of those who perished. The fund campaign, spearheaded by the newspaper’s charity arm "Operation Damayan," now has a total of P128,700 in cash donations.

Yesterday’s other donors include the Kapwa Arugain Foundation of Nueva Ecija (P10,000), Mario of Quezon City (P12,000), Patricia of Manila Bankers Life (P4,000) and the Cham Tian Kua family (TV set).

Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella jump-started the fund campaign by donating P50,000 last week.

"Operation Damayan" is the socio-civic arm of The STAR established by its founding chairman Betty Go-Belmonte. It continues under the guidance of her son, STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte.

Those who want to donate to the fund may call "Damayan" coordinator Melita Dioso at 527-79-01.