Filipino ‘sponge boy’ gets ready for new Beijing life

MELVIN Chua, 23, knows every narrow street of an urban district called Pembo in the Philippines’ capital Manila like the back of his hand.

Come rain or shine, he walked those streets for more than six hours daily selling dish sponges and dish cleaners to support his family. He has been doing this for 13 years and was given the nickname of “sponge boy.”

But soon, “sponge boy” will walk the streets of Beijing, after being awarded a scholarship by the Chinese government this year. He and 79 other Filipinos will take up their study in several universities in China.

Melvin got into Renmin University, his first choice, to take up masters in business administration. “Renmin University has a very good reputation so I really chose it because I can feel in myself that Renmin can transform me personally and professionally,” he said.

Aside from a chance to study abroad, Melvin is ecstatic to learn new things and also looks forward to getting to know China’s culture and development which have impressed him for years. “What really fascinates me and what influenced my decision to go there is the fast development of China. It will be very beneficial for other countries to take this opportunity to learn from Chinese people, how they transformed their lives.”

Before his journey to China, Melvin once again took up a basket and hawked dish sponges on the streets of Pembo on Saturday. His perseverance and cheerful disposition endears him to plenty of customers.

Poverty-stricken family

But Melvin had a difficult childhood. Born into a poverty-stricken family, Melvin is the second of six children. He helped his mother, a single parent, put food on the table at a very young tender age.

He started to sell dish sponges to support his family when he was 8. As a little boy, he would go alone to a large commercial center in Manila, to buy dish sponges in bulk which he would later sell to neighbors in the area, while also finding the time to study for school.

“Usually, I started plying my business around by 3pm then go home by 9 or 10pm. Then I need to do my assignments, everything I need to do for school until midnight,” he said.

Life as a family breadwinner is not easy. He can earn 300 (US$6) to 600 pesos by selling sponges per day and sometimes rummages through trash in search for bottles and cans that he can sell to the junk shop.

The hectic life didn’t push Melvin to drop his studies.

In 2018, his 13 years of hard work finally paid off. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Makati, becoming the first in his family to finish college. He got multiple job offers and later took a job at a brokerage company.

Melvin took to social media to express his gratitude to his customers who helped him achieve his dreams and treated him like a family. Soon he was thrown into the limelight after his story of survival went viral.

Later the notice of Chinese government scholarships caught his attention. Melvin applied for it and got through.

“This is something new to me. I didn’t know this before. Every time that I move forward, like I pass an interview or submit the requirements, it gives me so much hope. But the process is not easy. They require time and effort. But it’s worth it.”

(Xinhua)