DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) – A total of 56 persons with disabilities (PWD) have completed their year-long training at the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center (AVRC), highlighting how ability and perseverance, not disability, define one’s future.
Among the graduates was Ronie M. Nicolas, who was decorated as the most outstanding graduate of Batch 2023-2024.
Diagnosed with a visual impairment that eventually led to blindness, Nicolas enrolled in AVRC to prepare for his future and pursued a course in massage therapy.
Today, with the skills he acquired, he is successfully practicing his profession in Baguio and providing for his family.
“AVRC became our second home and taught us to stand on our own. Don’t give up. Don’t let anyone diminish your dream. Celebrate your victories, big or small,” Nicolas said.
He also emphasized the importance of expanding vocational training centers to help others gain confidence and find their place in a fair and inclusive society.
AVRC offers a range of vocational courses, including: tailoring, dressmaking, beauty care, hairdressing, therapeutic massage, cookery, and bread and pastry production.
Currently, 71 trainees are still undergoing training, preparing themselves for employment and independent living.
Ombra S. Sangcupan, AVRC IV center head in Region 12, shared his personal journey as a guest speaker at the ceremony.
Diagnosed with mild autism in his youth, he faced academic struggles and bullying but refused to let these challenges define his future.
“Our disabilities are not a barrier to success in life. Everyone has hope, and every person with a disability has the chance to progress, succeed, and contribute to Bagong Pilipinas, regardless of their condition,” Sangcupan told the graduates.
Virginia P. Sesay, AVRC head, meanwhile encouraged more PWDs to take advantage of AVRC I’s programs, reminding them that access to education and employment is a right under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
“To our fellow persons with disabilities in Regions I, II, III, and CAR, I encourage everyone to claim their right or privilege to be educated, employed, and trained,” Sesay said.
DSWD Region 1 assistant regional director for operations Anniely J. Ferrer also expressed appreciation to the graduates and their supporters, emphasizing the role of community involvement in ensuring equal opportunities for all.
With the skills they have gained and the confidence they have built, these graduates are ready to take on new challenges and prove that their abilities, not their disabilities, define their future. (CCMT/RPM/DMLT, PIA Pangasinan)
