Moving Forward Together

Fred Bergano's job is to cut pipes for the co-operative's desk chairs  (Alexis Kienlen)

Jun Villa, a blind massage therapist who works with the co-operative, demonstrates techniques on Canadian Liz Maynard  (Alexis Kienlen)

When Jun Villa lost his eyesight due to a genetic disorder, he despaired. The 37-year-old father, a resident of Iloilo City in the Philippines, worried about how he would support his wife and three children. Once he’d become blind, he was no longer able to continue his job as a medical technologist, a position he’d held for 16 years.

Fortunately, Villa found a new way to earn a living. His knowledge of anatomy, combined with his willingness to learn, enabled him to study Swedish massage therapy, which gave him an opportunity to earn the money he needed to provide for his family.

Now 59, Villa is able to take care of two of his 10 grandchildren part-time. His self-sufficiency is a major source of pride for him. “I can say that I reached the highest peak of my life because I could bring my children to college and build my house. This all happened after I lost my eyesight. That is the wonder of my life,” he says.

Villa’s wide range of clients includes travelling Filipino and Chinese businessmen who need pampering and relaxation away from home. His wife, whom he proudly calls his “partner in life,” travels to hotels with him and guides him around the rooms where he meets clients.

Villa has also become a local trainer. He has educated over 65 people in the art of massage, and has also travelled to nursing schools to introduce alternative health practices.

Along with some of the massage therapists he has trained, Villa is a member of the Association of Differently Abled Persons Multi-Purpose Co-op (ADPIMC). The group formed in 2001 to advocate for people with disabilities. Though there have been strides toward acceptance, negative attitudes about people with disabilities are prevalent throughout the country.

The ADPIMC is constantly working to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the Philippines. The group, which started as an association, became a co-operative in 2002, since co-operative status helps members to earn income, a primary concern for everyone involved. The co-op’s slogan is “opportunity not pity,” and it refers to its members as “differently abled,” recognizing that everyone has different abilities and talents to bring to the world.

Mario Abaygar, a charismatic man who walks using crutches, is the chairman of the co-operative. He is well-spoken and extremely friendly, and travels to rural areas around the island of Iloilo, advocating for people with disabilities and talking to them about the work of the co-operative. He also shares information about the ADPIMC’s employment opportunities, which have given many people the chance to better their lives and provide for themselves and their families.

Mario Abaygar, chairman of the co-op, indicates where desk chairs produced by the co-operative are sent  (Alexis Kienlen)

Fred Bergano's job is to cut pipes for the co-operative's desk chairs  (Alexis Kienlen)

Fred Bergano’s life was changed by his involvement with the co-op. He was partially paralyzed at age five after being given an overdose of medication in the hospital. When he was in his 30s, Bergano’s parents kicked him out of the family home, and he lived on the streets, begging to support his wife and children. Abaygar met him in the province of Capice, and offered him a job through the co-operative. Bergano now lives with the ADPIMC for part of the year. He sends money back to his wife and five children, who live in a house he purchased with his earnings. He was also able to buy a wheelchair for himself.

Bergano has a strong upper body. He cuts the pipes used to construct the desk chairs made by the co-operative. These chairs are distributed to schools through- out the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. The Department of Education has mandated that 10 percent of the chairs used in Filipino schools must be supplied by the ADPIMC. Unfortunately, the Filipino government is slow to pay, which creates unnecessary bottlenecks and problems for the co-operative. Factory workers, who include people who are deaf, missing limbs or using wheelchairs, are all on contract. They only work for six months of the year as a result of the government’s reluctance to pay.

In addition to its chair factory and massage-therapy training, the co-operative was given space from the city to run a canteen in a busy marketplace known as Jaro Plaza. The canteen employs four workers with physical disabilities. They prepare meals and snacks, and provide catering for seniors, veterans and people living with disabilities in the area.

Members of the co-operative also run a small microfinance unit. Funds are available to its members, as well as people living without disabilities in nearby communities.

Janine Soliva raises awareness about disabilities  (Alexis Kienlen)

Janine Soliva, 23, says the co-operative has made a difference in her life. She was born with one arm, and felt ashamed of her disability for years. She was shy and rarely left her home. “I was very afraid of discrimination and did not go out,” she says.

Eventually, Soliva learned about the ADPIMC and became its volunteer secretary. It was the beginning of a positive transformation for the friendly young woman. She recently graduated from university, and now helps to facilitate training for other co-op members. When Soliva speaks, people listen to her. She has a lovely smile and a positive attitude, and is now the chair of the Women with Disabilities Association in Iloilo.

“Through the co-op, I discovered my potential,” says Soliva. “Before I became involved with the co-op, I was very negative in terms of [my view of] disabilities. I have learned a lot and changed my life into a positive one. I can do a lot to encourage women with disabilities. I would encourage people with disabilities to become empowered.”

Prior to joining the co-operative, Soliva also had few friends with physical disabilities. She now has many, and she finds ways to offer them support and encouragement. “I have seen that they are in their own shells, and I try to talk to them,” Soliva says. “They shouldn’t let their disabilities hinder their talents and abilities.”

Alexis Kienlen is a poet, journalist and fiction writer whose first book, She dreams in red, was published in 2007. In February of 2008, she was hired as a journalist as part of the Canadian Co-operative Association’s first study mission group, which took a two-week trip to the Philippines to experience the power of co-operatives in that country. Alexis lives in Grande Prairie, Alberta. She invites Abilities’ readers to visit her website at www.alexiskienlen.com.