*By Goddes Hope Libiran*

It's been said that without hope, we cannot exist especially during dark times. There is bravery, resilience, and love—but hope is what will nourish all these.
In Davao City, hope is what has been filling up this particular home, which has been revived, re-energized to breathe new faith and joyfulness in the young lives of its residence.
Last week, I witnessed overwhelming kindness when I attended the opening of House of Hope at Margarita Village in Davao City. It had been a busy week for me traveling to at least two places in the country and the early morning flight to the city has sapped my energy a bit. But once I arrived at the venue, I was awed by what I saw and experienced.
The old two-storey house that I knew, has been turned into a cheerful home and outreach center for children stricken with cancer. Clean, bright, and looking spacious—it even comes with a small playroom and bedroom for the little ones—I can imagine children from underprivileged communities getting the care and attention they deserve.
The story behind this center itself is inspiring. The property is a donation of former president Rodrigo Duterte. The house used to be his residence. He had been donating toys and cash to cancer-stricken kids at the Southern Philippines Medical Center-Children Cancer Institute (SPMC-CCI) and the House of Hope. He also donated ₱3 million from his pension to renovate these facilities.
When his term ended on June 30, 2022, his huge circle of supporters insisted on giving him a farewell gift as gratitude for his term as president of the country. But, of course, not one who enjoys fanfare and attention, PRRD instead asked them to help in renovating the House of Hope.
And so, nearly a year later, the House of Hope was blessed and inaugurated on March 26—just two days short of his birthday on March 28 when he turned 78. The initiative was a product of the “Salamat, PRRD” book project of social media influencer Krizette Laureta Chu who gathered friends and supporters to help in improving and providing the needed facilities and furnishings of the home.
The gentle directive by PRRD was to turn the place into a haven for the young patients—a safe place for wellness and recovery from the treatments that take a toll on their frail bodies and young minds.
The other half of this moving story are the doctors and medical staff of  SPMC-CCI who go beyond the confines of their hospital to make the world a better place for these kids. The team is led by the charismatic and passionate Dr. Joy Dolendo who heads the Pediatric Oncology Department of SPMC and the founding president and program director of House of Hope.
According to Dr. Dolendo, the House of Hope is the fourth facility already of SPMC. There are two buildings at the medical center and another one that they're renting in Davao City, too. In the pipeline is a three-storey building in Tagum, Davao Del Norte. At the simple blessing at the House of Hope, this is what came to my mind: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Certainly, it took a village of kind people to build the House of Hope—and that energy of cheerfulness, which also came with graciousness and its own sacrifices—was truly infectious. *(Goddes Hope Oliveros Libiran is the current undersecretary and supervising senior official of the Media Affairs and Community Relations Office (MACRO) and Internal Audit Service (IAS) of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). During the Duterte administration, she was the assistant secretary for Communications and Commuter Affairs of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).)*