Our First Big Vehicle
When we first started out, we got around on a tricycle. That tiny workhorse often leaned to one side because of all the Mingo Meals it had to carry. Finally, in 2018, we got our first big vehicle which we dubbed Mingay. We decorated Mingay’s exterior with brightly decorated illustrations by one of NVC’s Young Ambassadors, Abram Bisuña.
Years of Hard Work
Over the years, Mingay ferried countless Mingo Meals, Love Bags, relief goods, livelihood needs, toys, and staff. Not only did Mingay carry heavy loads around our province, but she even crossed waters to other provinces. Unfortunately, all that hard work wore Mingay out. On January 2, we announced on our Facebook wall that our deliveries were slowing down because Mingay needed to take things easy. A supporter suggested we start praying for a new vehicle because Mingay’s slowing down shouldn’t slow down NVC.
Prayers Answered
And so, pray we did. Thankfully, our prayers were soon answered! Not only that, an old prayer of NVC President Millie Kilayko was answered as well. Here’s a bit of a background: In December 2024, Toyota Motor Philippines launched its much-awaited next-generation Tamaraw. NVC’s Artisans of Hope played an interesting role in the launch of this versatile, reliable and resilient vehicle. They were asked to make keepsakes to be given away at the unveiling of the Tamaraw at the Philippine International Motor Show. For this, the Artisans crafted mosaic art pieces out of broken tiles and eggshells as well as wind chimes out of discarded Nespresso coffee capsules.
The following month, on January 3, 2025, Ms. Millie posted on something on Facebook. In that post, she wrote that she hoped and prayed that one day NVC would have one of our own. She shared that she saw qualities of the Tamaraw (such as resilience) in NVC.
Exactly one year after Ms. Millie wrote that post and a few days after we posted that we were praying for a new vehicle, Ms. Millie received a message on her phone. It was the picture of a deposit slip from “an avid fan of NVC” who had donated the full amount for a Toyota Tamaraw! Now we don’t have to content ourselves with knowing that NVC’s Artisans of Hope were chosen to craft keepsakes for the Tamaraw’s launch. Soon, we’ll be riding out in our very own Tamaraw to reach the people we serve!
Blessed and Ready to Hit the Road
We picked up our brand new Tamaraw (Mingay Jr., as she will now be called) from the dealer on January 7. Of course, we wanted to make sure that every trip we take in Mingay Jr. has God’s blessing, so on January 8, Fr. Noli Blancaflor blessed Mingay, Jr. She’s now ready to hit the road! We look forward to the journeys we’ll take and the people we’ll serve using Mingay, Jr. It’s a new year and new journeys, adventures and challenges lie ahead. We and Mingay, Jr. are ready for them!
