FEATURE STORY| Counseling, providing sari-sari store packages encouraged PWDs to do livelihood activities

 

By Gideon C. Corgue

TIGBAO, Zamboanga del Sur, January 15 (KBP)— The visit, counselling, and giving of sari-sari store packages by the government encouraged persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the province to rise from their difficulties in life.

This was the reaction of some PWDs who were recently visited by the persons with disabilities affairs office (PDAO) headed by Mirriam Llanos, the provincial head.

Sari-sari store package delivered

Felimar Paglinawan, a 21-year-old resident of Begong, Tigbao was one of those who were visited by the PDAO staff and were given two (2) sacks of grocery items from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office.

Paglinawan, an institutional worker at the Zamboanga del Sur Medical Center (ZSMC) was the victim of a vehicular accident on August 5, 2022 where the single motorcycle he was riding was hit by a wing van truck causing both of his legs to be broken and he was unable to walk.

His medical expenses at the hospital and medicines were not paid by the owner of the truck that hit him, causing their situation to get worse.

Son of a poor farmer

Paglinawan, the son of a poor farmer and the second of five children, was supposed to work at the hospital to help with the expenses of their household and send his younger siblings to school, but this dream did not continue due to the unexpected event in his life.

Mother cares, watches over the patient

His mother, Maritess, is the one who takes care of him every day and watches over him because he can't walk even though he has stainless steel casts on both of his feet.

The PDAO team handed over the sari-sari package store to Maritess, so that she could sell and display it outside their home and while she was watching over her patient, she would also have fun with the merchandise so that it would help in a small way in their livelihood.

Glad the team visited her son

"I am very happy that you visited my son and gave us free grocery items so that I can sell them. Our situation here is very difficult and we have no money to buy because of our poor situation. I can't even look for a job because there is no one to take care of my son," Maritess said while sobbing.

Don't give up hope

Mirriam Llanos urged Felimar to strengthen himself and not lose hope because what happened to him was a will from the Almighty.

"Strive to recover from your illness so that you can stand up and in the coming days you will be able to return to your work using the assistive device," encouraged Llanos.

More PWDs visited by the team

The PDAO also delivered packed grocery items to other PWDs living around the barangay Poblacion and talked to the concerned PWDs and their parents.

Meanwhile, the PDAO team also went to the town of Aurora to deliver the sari-sari store package to another PWD, Lousevil Escoto, a resident of barangay Tagolalo.

Escoto who has only one hand, is one of the victims of the big flood that happened in their barangay recently. She was given the sari-sari store package so that she can display and sell outside her house.

Escoto is happy to receive the package because it will help her in her livelihood.

"I thank the DTI and the provincial government for showing great concern to us who are in the marginalized sector of society and have become victims of natural calamities such as the flood we are experiencing today," Escoto happily said.

It can be recalled that the sari-sari store package that was delivered is part of the 41 packages that the DTI gave recently to the PWDs in the province to provide them with livelihood opportunities and become productive members of society. (GCC/KBP-Zamboanga del Sur)