Next Christmas already promises to be sweeter for 14-year old Manuel Oliveros after he was chosen as the recipient of a brand new house and lot from Lumina Homes in the 2019 edition of the “12 Days of Christmas” gift-giving tradition of “Umagang Kay Ganda” (UKG).
Since his stepfather abandoned them shortly after his mother died early this year, Manuel has stepped up to raise his smaller siblings, caring for them and providing for them by taking on odd jobs. According to him, this gift of a home for him and his family came at a very crucial time in their lives.
“Kasi po gigibain na rin ‘yung bahay namin, ‘yung inuupahan namin. ‘Pag nagiba po ‘yun, wala kaming malilipatan. (The house we are renting now is about to be demolished. When it’s gone we have nowhere to go),” the young man from Cavite said after receiving the good news live on TV on Christmas Day.
His older sister Evita, who stays with them but is tending to her own family, says she is excited to start a new life in their new home.
“Hindi ko po masabi kung gaano po kasaya ‘yung nararamdaman ko. Masaya po ang Pasko namin kasi nakakain kami ng masarap. Binigyan kami ng pang noche buena ng ABS. Ngayon po excited ako sa bagong buhay sa bago naming bahay. (I can’t put in to words the joy I am feeling. Our Christmas was happy because we were able to eat delicious food for noche buena that was given by ABS-CBN. Now we are looking forward to a new life in our new home),” she shared.
The public first came to know about Manuel’s story in the ABS-CBN current affairs program “Mission Possible.” The fourth of seven children, Manuel wakes up at 6 am to pick mangoes, which he would then sell and use to buy their food. Sometimes, he also sifts through garbage to collect materials he could sell to junk shops.
Aside from providing for his family, he is also the one preparing younger siblings Ramix, Jeffrey, and Mike for school. On top of their worries is the rent on their home, which the owner also plans to take down soon.
They can now rest assured they have a place to move into, after being blessed with a brand new 22 square meter “Aimee” row house unit, which features a living area, dining and kitchen, toilet and bath, and provisions for bedroom and a service area. They can pick among the different locations of Lumina Homes, which are all accessible to major thoroughfares, transport hubs, schools, hospitals, and business and leisure centers, and have complete amenities like a community hall, basketball court, mini gardens and playgrounds, and commercial areas.
Lumina Homes, “Every Juan’s Home,” is the fastest growing mass housing developer with over 50 projects in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. What further sets apart Lumina from other developers is its affordability — as low as 1,898 pesos monthly — and financial accessibility as it offers homes under Pag-IBIG financing and Easy PayLite bank financing which both guarantee fast loan release and low monthly amortization.
Aside from Manuel, other deserving individuals and organizations also received surprises and gifts from “UKG,” the country’s award-winning morning show, which celebrated its 11th anniversary this year.
Watch “Umagang Kay Ganda” with anchors Amy Perez, Anthony Taberna, Ariel Ureta, Gretchen Ho, Jeff Canoy, Jorge Cariño, and Winnie Cordero from Monday to Friday, 4:55 am to 8 am on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD. Watch it online via iwant.ph or skyondemand.com.ph. For show updates and online exclusives, follow “Umagang Kay Ganda” on Facebook (@umagangkayganda2) and Twitter (@ukgdos). For updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit www.abs-cbn.com/newsroom.
