Edu Manzano Builds, Maintains Cancer Wing For Kids With Money From His Own Pocket

EDU MANZANO toured us at the second phase of the National Children’s Hospital cancer wing that he constructed from his own pocket and named after his late dad, Adrian Manzano, who used to be the head of a California Boy’s Town. “I used to serve there,” he says. “Nagwawalis, tumutulong sa canteen nila, so this is a continuation of his legacy.”

It’s Dr. Vic Gomez, the medical director of the hospital and his former classmate in La Salle, who urged him to put up the wing for kids with the big C. “I used to come here for Christmas for gift giving so parang pinalawak lang ang pagtulong ko rito. When I do hosting jobs, instead of paying me, I tell them to write a check to help maintain this wing. We’ve helped so many kids since we started with Phase 1 three years ago. Hindi ko matiis when I visit them at nag-iiyakan ang mga bata. The youngest patient we had was just 3 months old. You’d really wonder why they get the big C at such a young age. Siguro dahil sa pollution, sa additives in the food. Very touching pag nakakatanggap ako ng letters from the kids and their parents dahil sa tulong namin sa kanila. Sa Phase 2, we added 12 more beds, with TV and games to make them child friendly, plus inayos yung nurse’s station and we added more cabinets. Naglagay rin kami ng room for Philhealth patients. May Phase 3 pa kami to add more beds.”

He’s now one of the hosts of TV5’s morning show. What happened to “Game N Go”? “Nawala yung studio namin (given to Wowowillie) but they’re giving us a new game show in June.”