23-year-old PWD, among beneficiaries of Tisa SK skills training project

UC-TC Cares Specialized Livelihood Program beneficiaries undergo Information Technology training. |Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines–Since birth, Richard Angelio could not walk upright and had to crawl to where ever he wanted to go.

But this did not stop him from trying to make something of his life. In fact, he studied Information Technology at the Don Bosco Technical College but he completed only one year of college because his parents could no longer afford to support his studies.

When the Sangguniang Kabataan in Barangay Tisa collaborated with the University of Cebu for the UC -TC Cares Specialized Livelihood Program for the barangay’s out-of-school youths, Angelio decided to avail of the program.

Richard Angelio | Contributed Photo

“I joined because I wanted to have a certificate, which I could use in applying for a job,” he told CDN Digital.

Read More: Tisa SK Council wins Most Outstanding SK Project Award

Despite his disability, Angelio persevered and was able to complete the training scheduled every Saturday for six months. Program implementation started in November 2018.

He and 16 other trainees finished the training on cooking and baking and computer literacy.

According to Angelio, he wanted to work to show his worth as a human being. He even had to return the alms given to him by those who mistook him as a beggar.

Ma. Sonia Fate Cal, Tisa SK chairperson and ex-officio member of Tisa barangay council, said about 50 beneficiaries availed of their UC-TC Cares Specialized Livelihood Program, but only very few of them completed the actual training.  She said that it was disheartening that only around 30 percent of the program beneficiaries graduated in May 2019.

However, Cal explained that they decided to go ahead with the program’s implementation despite the high rate of dropouts because they saw Angelio’s determination to complete his training.

Out of school youth learn cooking and baking. | Contributed Photo

Cal said that the Tisa SK council wanted to continue the project’s implementation but they have yet to prove that they have the capability to do so.

This was the reason why they joined the #YOUthCan: Unleashing the Power of the Youth, a three-day youth convention held from August 10 to 12 in Davao City, and sent their UC-TC Cares Specialized Livelihood Program as an entry to the Most Outstanding SK Project Award.

Barangay Tisa won the award and bested over 100 other entries sent by other SKs coming from other parts of the country.

Cal said that she and the other Tisa SK officials, who joined the convention in Davao City, cried after they learned that they won the Most Outstanding SK Project Award.

Tisa SK is set to receive a cash prize for the award that they won after they submit a sustainability plan to #YOUthCan: Unleashing the Power of the Youth organizers.

Cal is confident that the amount that they will be getting will help in the continuity of their UC-TC Cares Specialized Livelihood Program while they also hope to find more partners in the future to expand the courses that they will offer to their beneficiaries.

Angelio is asking other PWDs like him to avail of the program and not allow their disabilities to be a hindrance in achieving their goals.

For those who are fully abled, he said that there is no reason for them not to attain their dreams. “If I can do it, sila pa kaha nga fully-loaded,” Angelio said. /dcb