Filipino 'sponge boy' bound for China with scholarship

Melvin Chua, a 23-year-old Filipino boy, is awarded scholarship by the Chinese government this year and will leave for the Renmin University of China in Beijing to take up masters in business administration. Melvin has been selling dish sponges and dish cleaners to support his family for 13 years and was given the nickname of "sponge boy."

MANILA - Melvin Chua, 23, knows every narrow street of an urban district called Pembo in the Philippines' capital city Manila like the back of his hand.

Come rain or shine, he used to walk those streets for more than six hours every day 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, the "sponge boy" will walk the streets of China's capital city Beijing, after being awarded scholarship by the Chinese government this year. He and 79 other Philippine students will take up their study in several universities in China.

Melvin got into the Renmin University of China, his first choice, to take up masters in business administration.

"Renmin University has a very good reputation so I really chose the university because I can feel in myself that Renmin can transform me personally and professionally," he told Xinhua.

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 because of 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", he added.

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 endeared him to plenty of familiar customers.

However, unknown to most of his customers, Melvin has 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.