A New Day – Thanks to Rosebelle Ligaya Mercurio's tireless efforts, life for PWDs in Carmona, Cavite has vastly improved.

MANILA, Philippines — What lifts teaching beyond what is noble is the giving of oneself to children who need help most. As if being a teacher is not difficult enough, being a Special Education (SpEd) teacher is even much more complicated.

For Rosebelle Ligaya Mercurio, teaching special children is just more than a vocation but a calling. She believes that it is God’s will for her to be in this profession, and not behind the cloistered walls of a monastery, as where she initially wanted to be.

“Kung hindi rin dahil sa condition, andun pa rin ako sa loob,” Mercurio admits. By loob, Mercurio means the convent which she had to leave when she acquired bronchopneumonia.

“But I know that it is a calling and I will no stop. Ito ang kalooban ng Diyos para sa akin.’’

At 10 years old, Mercurio already knew what she wanted to be. She would play teacher to her neighbors who would ask her questions. She would even grade her “students!” But upon her parents’ request, the 37-year-old educator took up Psychology at the University of Perpetual Help in Las Pinas. After graduating, she immediately taught Values Formation.

She then taught at a day care center in Paligawang Matanda, a sitio in Carmona, Cavite. She entered the monastery soon after but was let go because of health reasons. She went back to teaching out-of-school youths.

It was at this time in 2000 that then Mayor Roy Loyola approached her to help the city by establishing a Special Education unit at the Carmona Elementary School. Mercurio accepted and started to work while taking up a master’s course in SpEd.

“Walang SpED noon. In Cavite, it was only in Carmona which was initiated by the local government. Kasi may kamag-anak si Mayor Loyola sa abroad na may special child and nakita niya ‘yung sistema dun na maganda so gusto niyang i-adopt.

‘Yun ang kanyang naging motivation para magtayo ng SpEd sa amin,” Mercurio explains. “I did everything in the beginning, from mapping to survey. I also did the program for our school,” Mercurio describes her initial tasks. The local government unit (LGU) of Carmona then established the Persons with Disabilities Coordinating Office.

Finding Special Children

In most rural areas where most people are still not aware about special children, parents tend to hide their children for embarrassment and for fear that other people may harm their children.

This posed a challenge to Mercurio who says finding special children in the area was probably the most difficult stage of her work.

“Mahirap nung una na paliwanagan ang mga magulang na may pagasa ang mga anak nila to be productive individuals. At paano mo sabihin sa kanila to accept ‘yung conditions ng mga anak nila,” she reasons out.

It helped that they conduct information dissemination campaigns every month.

Initially, the center catered to 13 students, which ballooned to 88 in so short a time. Their conditions include autism, cerebral palsy, physical handicapped, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and many more.

Today, the center also offers diagnosis and referrals conducted by the developmental pediatrician. They do rehabilitation and different education program such as early intervention, SpEd tutorials, and normalization (mainstreaming, inclusion, integration).

They also offer special programs such as the Adaptive Skills Progam, consists of three courses namely – Applied Academics, Practical Living, and Leisure and Recreation. The center also offers an entrepreneurial program for older learners to enable them to develop work competencies.

The LGU also provideS free transportation and school supplies to the students. They have just been recently recognized by the Department of Education as a SpEd Center.

“Isang challenge din ‘yung mapping na pupunta ka sa bundok, sa mga liblib na lugar,’’ Mercurio describes. The system has also been streamlined to include data banking every three years, survey, house-to-house information campaign, monitoring and visitations.

Changed Perception

“Ang laki ng ng pagbabago, ‘yung mga bata na alam namin na hindi makapagsalita, ngayon napagsalita na namin. Nagiging productive na rin sila kasi because of literacy and intervention. Going to entrepreneurial level, alam na nila magtrabaho like paggawa ng candy, as long as nagiging productive sila,” she says.

Today, more and more parents are coming out and giving their kids a chance to learn. Although they can only accommodate less than 100 kids, the center caters to more parents who are asking them for their services.

But more than the increasing number of students, what Mercurio and her staff happy is the changed perception of the people of Carmona about persons with disabilities (PWDs).

“Sobrang pagbabago, especially sa school galing sa kapwa nila bata. ‘Pag dadaan sila, bibigyan sila ng wave unlike before, pinagtatawanan or niloloko. Even sa barangay, wala nang ganun, nakita mo na ‘yung pagtanggap. Kami rin po, ‘pag may nalaman kami na ganung problema, pinupuntahan namin para kausapin ‘yung pamilya at kung sinuman ang nang bu-bully sa kanya. Sa awa ng Diyos, sa pagbabago ng Carmona, mahal na mahal na nila ang PWD. ‘Yung mga privileges nila like ‘yung discount, ino-honor na nila,” she shares.

“Ang pangarap ko mapalaganap na lahat ng schools may special education. Na mabigyan ng karapatan ang mga batang may kapansanan. Sana mabigyan ng kahalagahan ang pangangailangan ng PWDs,” she adds.

Unexpected Warriors

Mercurio became an inspiration to the citizens of Carmona and was hailed as Outstanding Citizen in 2003 and received a Lingkod Bayan award in 2009.

Today, she is one of four teacher-honorees of The Many Faces of the Teachers, an annual search for outstanding educators in the country conducted by Bato Balani Foundation, Inc., in partnership with Diwa Learning Systems.

But the most important reward she has received is learning patience. “Naging mas mahaba ang pasensiya ko. Naging mas malakas din ako sa propesyon na ‘to.”

This is the characteristic she hopes all SpEd and non-SpEd teachers of the future will have.

“Unawa, pasensiya, at pagmamahal sa bata. ‘Yun ang gusto kong iwanan sa kanila na ikaw bilang guro, ay meron nun at manatlili sa’yo at makita ang paglilingkod sa bata at sa Diyos. Hindi man ako makapaglingkod sa loob, sa labas man lamang, sa kapwa ko, ‘yun din ang kalooban ng Diyos para gawin ko. Hinanda lang ako para sa isang misyon na hindi ko iiwanan dahil nakikita ko ang sarili ko sa paglilingkod na ‘to. Dito po ako masaya,” she ends.