Facing Disability in its Eye

Jenica Joy P. Cabaguio and Abegail L. Topado

“It was ability that mattered, not disability, which is a word I’m not crazy about using.”

--Marlee Matlin

Living with disability requires a lot of resourcefulness and tons of courage for there are lots of hurdles to conquer. Disability is something that needs to be dominated. For Gerwen Mangubat, a nineteen year old student enrolled in the BS Accounting Management program, he had gained more than what he lost — all because of his perception that his disability enabled him to cross the struggling and tangled lifelines of his being. He had his arm hit by loose electric current when he was nine years old. Since then, he learned to live his life without the aid of his left hand.

Raised in Ibaan Batangas, young Gerwen found it difficult to accept what happened to him early on in his life. “Why him” was his usual question to himself. His difference made it hard for him to do what other kids did during childhood. Sometimes, loneliness loomed over Gerwen. He struggled a lot when hanging out with others because he always felt like he did not belong. Having no left arm used to bring a sudden feeling of discouragement to Gerwen especially when the flashback of the accident struck his mind.

Everyday was a new struggle for Gerwen. But with the aid of people around him, he was able to survive the challenges of living without the ‘full package’; of having lost something really important.

Good thing he had his family, friends and teachers who faithfully believed that he could do all things a normal person could do. They served as his motivation and support system to move forward and to surpass the barriers in his life.

His being special did not mean he would be jarred by difficulties. Instead, he worked to become as effective as other people. He did something about his lot in life. Having lost his right hand did not mean that he would be weak.

He was positive that he could still attain his interests and reach his ambitions — that he could fulfill his dream as an accounting management practitioner. In fact, he was grateful for what he had. All the blessings made him a strong individual.

He left a piece of advice for people who are in the same situation as his, “Huwag nilang isipin na ‘yun ang kanilang kahinaan, ang gawin na lang nila ay gumawa ng paraan para sila ay maka-angat upang makamit din nila ang buong tiwala sa sarili. Lahat ng ‘di magandang pangyayari sa buhay ay may kapalit na mas maganda (People must not think that that (disability) is their weakness, what they should do is to think of a strategy to lift their spirit as this will help them gain complete self-trust. All negative events in life will have good returns),” said Gerwen.

Gerwen, when seen together with his classmates and friends, was just like any other student in BatStateU. Yes, there’s something lacking in his body parts but this fact did not prevent him to become a person whose determination and conviction brought him to heights of unparalleled success. In fact, Gerwen’s personality and values system were even more intense than other people. He proved that there is no disability in life that could mar a person’s dream to succeed. Really, his strength of character, his resolve to go beyond his limitations and his passion to embrace his weakness and build on them made him a model student and person whom everybody will surely emulate.