MORE than 40 cancer survivors, young warriors, and their families from across Mindanao came together on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at McDonald’s Sta. Ana Avenue to celebrate International Cancer Survivors Day, hosted by the Cancer Warriors Foundation (CWF).
With the rallying theme “Childhood Cancer is Curable,” the gathering filled the venue with laughter, inspiring stories, and powerful messages of hope. Survivors shared their journeys, children played games, and families bonded over the shared fight against childhood cancer.
James Auste, CWF founder and brain cancer survivor, led the celebration. Recalling his diagnosis in 1996, he said, he said, “Doctors told me to go home and wait. But I believed in God, in science, and purpose—and I survived.” That experience drove him to launch CWF 25 years ago after seeing children die not from cancer, but from a lack of access to medicine.
Since then, the foundation has helped more than 1,000 child cancer patients nationwide. Auste urged fellow survivors and supporters to pay it forward: “Let’s make more survivors—not just survivors, but warriors. If you survived, help others. Don’t wait. It can be done, it should be done, and it will be done.”
Michael Galves, a leukemia survivor from Batangas, stood as living proof. “Out of 30 kids in my batch, I was the only one who survived. Now I work in an ER. Sir James once told me, ‘Lumaban ka.’ And I did,” he said, drawing applause from the crowd.
Another warrior, Lonie Jane Bersabal Padua, was diagnosed at 14. Today, she’s a licensed pharmacist who graduated Magna Cum Laude, ranked Top 9 in the national board exam, and recently passed Australia’s licensure test. “Cancer taught me to live. To trust God. To choose purpose over perfection,” she shared, her voice steady with conviction.
Melville Angelo Magdawan, a registered psychometrician with the DSWD, echoed the power of perseverance: “It’s hard to dream when you’re sick. But healing is real. You’ll get there too.”
Dr. Ong, a longtime CWF supporter, spoke about the harsh realities many families face. “There’s no free medicine unless someone donates. That’s why what the Cancer Warriors Foundation and Sir James do is so important—they fight for access, to the NICA (National Integrated Cancer Act), for free treatment in government hospitals. Today, leukemia and solid tumors can be treated in public hospitals.”
“Children are lucky to have loving parents and families who do everything to find ways, even just to get to a private hospital. So never forget to say, ‘Salamat po (Thank you), mommy, daddy, lola, lolo,’” Ong said.
The event also brought joy to its youngest attendee, two-year-old Cattaleya Cabahar, currently undergoing treatment for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). She joined in games like “McBring Me,” as children laughed and played alongside others who understood their journey.
The day brought more than smiles—it stirred a shared purpose. It showed that with enough support and courage, beating cancer isn’t just possible—it changes lives.
As the event wrapped up, Auste delivered one final message: “If you need help, just reach out. We are always by your side. Never retreat, never give up. God bless.” Lian A. Layson, Spamast Intern