God's Word in Migi's Corner

Migi’s Corner has been the ‘comfort zone’ for children suffering from various illnesses in eleven major hospitals in the country. Named after Francisco Miguel Babao Guballa, a four-year-old child who had a congenital heart disease called Tetralogy of Fallot, Migi’s Corner is a room equipped with toys, games, TV, and reading materials to provide diversion for young patients.

PBS Communications Manager Juliet Jimeno turns over copies of Scriptures for children to PCMC representatives.

Realizing the need of sick children for reading materials that bring hope and assurance of God’s love, the Philippine Bible Society (PBS) visited three Migi’s Corner on May 9-10, 2005 as part of the United Bible Societies’ (UBS) World Day of Prayer. On these occasions, young patients from the Philipine Heart Center (PHC), Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), and National Children’s Hospital (NCH) listened to stories from the Bible, interacted with Bible Society staff, and spent time reading and coloring popular Bible stories. PBS representatives also took time to pray with the patients and provide words of comfort for their companions.
“The children need these activities so they won’t get bored while staying at the hospital,” said Play Therapy Nurse Mafe Tan Reyes of PHC. Apart from the activities provided by visiting organizations, PHC also provide regular activities for their young patients as part of their play therapy. One of the activities is story telling. “I think using the stories from the Tagalog Children’s Bible would be a good idea,” said one of the staff of Migi’s Corner. Migi’s Corner received copies of the Children’s Bible sa Wikang Filipino – in which patients can read their favorite Bible stories from Genesis to Revelation – coloring books and Scripture comics. PBS distributed a total of 550 copies coloring books and 1,175 comics and 100 Scripture booklets.

Migi’s Corner was set up in memory of Migi Babao-Guballa, who died in 1998 from complications following his second major heart surgery at PHC. His mother, Cathy Babao Guballa, initiated the project. Since the first Migi’s Corner was inaugurated at PHC in 1999, ten more were set up in selected hospitals throughout the country. PBS aims to provide copies of Scriptures in these Migi’s Corners.

PBS also distributed copies of Scriptures among 632 prison inmates at the Marikina City Jail. This effort was in cooperation with the Ministerial fellowship in Marikina. A similar activity will also be held in Catanduanes, a province in the southern part of Luzon.