ILOILO CITY – A woman from Cubay, Jaro, Iloilo City recently uncovered a shocking truth about her past—she was sold for P700 when she was just 11 months old.
Mae Joy Amora, now 28 years old, was sold at Jaro Plaza in 1996 and was later adopted by Virginia Amora. Just a week after the transaction, she was moved to Barangay Bantayanan, Tubungan, Iloilo, where she grew up.
The eldest among seven siblings, Amora has no knowledge of her biological mother and remains unaware of her whereabouts. However, during her third year in college, she briefly met her biological father. Their conversation was short, and she later learned that he had started a new family in Negros Occidental.
Despite the hardships of her early life, Amora remained determined to succeed. She spent her childhood helping sell farm produce while studying. She attended Victoria Elementary School and later completed high school at Lanag Norte National High School in Tubungan, Iloilo.
She pursued a degree in BS Office Administration at Cabalum Western College, graduating in 2018. Shortly after, she was hired by the same institution. She later worked two years in a call center before moving to Singapore, where she worked as a domestic helper and tutor from 2022 to 2024.
Amora’s story is a testament to resilience and perseverance, shedding light on the challenges of identity, adoption, and poverty in the Philippines.
