SUCCESS STORIES

Glen S. Dimaandal

After graduating from high school, I was thought of by my peers and teachers as someone who was clearly going places. At that time, I considered myself as one of the best student writers in the Philippines and I had the awards to back up my claim. I was admitted into one of the best universities in the University of Santo Tomas and here was where I hoped to start my campaign into a successful life.

Only a few months after college started, I lost my central vision in both eyes, severely limiting one of my best abilities: my reading prowess. Struggling to cope up with my handicap and academics, I reluctantly agreed to put my studies on hold and take a leave of absence.

This was when depression started to really set in. More than the fear of going blind, it was the fear of being useless and not living up to the expectations that shattered my self esteem. This went on for several months until my doctor informed me about ATRIEV and its program.

I had second thoughts about entering the program of ATRIEV but for the lack of anything better to do, I picked myself up and got admitted. I had no idea that this was one of the best decisions I have ever made in life and that my comeback trail would start in an old building in Lerma, Manila.

In ATRIEV, I found a new family that better understood what I was dealing with. It was also here that I realized that becoming visually impaired is not the end of the world as Sir Tony, Ma’am Carol, and the rest of the ATRIEV people showed me by example that there is so much more that I can do in this life.

Long after departing from ATRIEV, I am still using the skills and lessons that were given to me. With the inspiration and computer savvy that they placed into my hands, I was able to finish my journalism course. I have worked in a few IT firms and I am now currently serving a company in Ortigas as its Search Engine Optimization Manager. I am also pursuing my Master’s Degree in De la Salle University where I am majoring in special education. I am hoping to specialize in educating the visually impaired so that I may be able to pay forward for what I was given by ATRIEV.

Marx Vergel Melencio

Marx Vergel Melencio, or Marx Man to his friends, is the owner and “supreme overlord” of Grayscale Business Management and Consultancy Services. Grayscale is a company focusing on web content creation and virtual Internet marketing assistance. As the owner of Grayscale, Marx has provided employment to many individuals and has received awards and recognition from public and private institutions.

One could rightfully say that this man’s life is an example of success, but it wasn’t a smooth ride to the top. Several years ago, 2003 to be exact, an unidentified man gunned Marx down, shooting his chest and head and rendering him totally blind and broken.

But although his eyesight was lost, Marx’s spirit and determination were never fazed. Soon after physically recovering, Marx learned how to use assistive technologies such as screen readers. Marx then managed to finish his studies and carry on.

Being a family man himself, Marx needed to find work. And in 2005, Marx heard of the medical transcription course offered by ATRIEV. At that time, Marx didn’t have enough money to pay for the course. Marx therefore volunteered as an assistant website developer for ATRIEV in exchange for a discount on the training fees.

Realizing that medical transcription wasn’t for him, Marx decided to try to find other types of work. While doing so, Marx faced numerous unsuccessful days of job hunting. This, sadly, was mainly due to the grand naivete of certain companies. Nevertheless, through his willpower and the support of his wife, Marx was able to find work as a web content writer for Intelligraph Corporation, an online media company.

While Marx was working at Intelligraph, the proverbial light bulb flashed its radiant light in his head. And this was the start of the phenomenon known as Grayscale.

Applying everything he had learned from Intelligraph, Marx decided to form his own company. In contrast to owners of other similar companies, Marx dared to tread unfamiliar grounds and focus on the IT industry. And so Grayscale was born.

In 2006, Grayscale started with only a handful of employees and a few computer units. Today, it is home to more than a hundred employees working as writers, researchers, and virtual assistants. Also, Grayscale keeps in mind its social responsibility to provide equal opportunities. A huge percentage of its work force consists of persons with disabilities –blind, visually impaired, and wheelchair-bound individuals.

Truly, Marx and Grayscale have given many people, regardless of their physical state, the chance to have work and prosper. I, Julius Charles Serrano, your humble narrator, am proud to say that I’m one of those individuals. And with all sincerity, I say that we all have Marx Man to thank for it.

Rhea Althea Guntalilib

Rising Above Blindness

At age 17, the prime of her youth, Rhea Guntalilib, a 2nd-year nursing student from Nueva Viscaya, lost her eyesight and her dreams.

“I used to be a happy-go-lucky person back then,” Rhea recalls, “I had the “pwede na” mentality and I figured, I had my future well planned.” Until Rhea was hit by typhoid fever in January 2006 that slowly blurred her vision with black spots and eventually blurred her future. The black spots grew bigger and bigger in just a matter of months. Rhea’s family consulted one ophthalmologist to another up to 13 in all, but with the same verdict—Rhea will become blind, it was only a matter of time… Within one and a half years, the doctors’ prediction came true. Rhea became totally blind in both eyes.

Rhea went through the stages—denial, anger, mourning… “I came to a point where I don’t want to see or talk to anyone. I just wanted to hide,” she recounts. Rhea’s parents, nonetheless, did not give up on her situation. They started looking for ways for Rhea to go on with living. An article in the newspaper about Carol Catacutan, ATRIEV’s Training and Employment Director, brought the Guntalilibs to ATRIEV.

In 2008, Rhea decided that she cannot go on brooding. Her family brought her to Manila and she enrolled in ATRIEV’s basic PC operations course.

“Initially, all I wanted to learn in ATRIEV is how to use computers and only that,” she confesses. Interacting with her fellow blind persons taught Rhea much more than the technology. “But ATRIEV taught me more, much more than using the computer,” Rhea begins, “ATRIEV gave me back my self confidence.”

From a happy-go-lucky person, Rhea now values every single opportunity that comes her way. After completing two modules in ATRIEV, she is now a recipient of a two-year scholarship at Informatics College, Diliman. Rhea is also doing volunteer tutorial work at the special education unit of Nueva Viscaya while waiting for the start of the school year.

Rhea reflects, “I believe that my blindness is just God’s way of putting me in the right path so that I will be the best person that I can be.”

Alona Bateg

“Through the fire, through the limits through the wall,” this describes Alona Bateg’s (a totally blind lady) journey to success.

Alona is a devoted wife to Mario (himself totally blind) and a dedicated mother to four kids. The blind couple earned their living through massage and occasional band gigs, but their combined earnings were not enough for the family.

In 2005, Alona took that leap of faith by taking the tedious five-month medical transcription training in ATRIEV. Leaving her husband and two older kids in Baguio, Alona relocated to Manila bringing with her their one-year old baby boy and their five-year-old daughter as her guide. Her training was interrupted by occasional breastfeeding and lullaby singing.

But all her hardwork paid off. After completing her training, Alona returned to Baguio and was immediately accommodated as on- the-job trainee by the TOP Outsource performance (TOP) Inc. in August 2005. She was offered an apprenticeship contract in May 2006, and in September 2006 Alona met the standards of TOP Inc. and became a full fledged medical transcriptionist. At present, Alona handles three accounts for her company.

In the ATRIEV’s benefit concert entitled “When You Believe” in 2006, Alona showed her singing prowess through her soulful rendition of “Wind Beneath my Wings”. Applause roared as she sang the song to her daughter, Alaizah. Her astounding performance led to several singing invitations from the Australia-New Zealand Association’s Christmas party in Forbes Park, Makati, the Finex Ruby anniversary presentation at the Palacio de Manila and the Standard Chartered Bank’s “Flight for sight” benefit dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel. One of her most memorable performances was no less than for the Philippine President, herself, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Australia-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce.

A total performer, career woman and mother rolled into one… that is Alona Traquena Bateg.

Angel Balasabas

“Resolute yet Resilient”

Angel, at 20, is determined to pursue her course in Associate Computer Technology at the Asia Pacific College (APC). It may be a simple dream for a girl her age but for Angel, totally blind, finishing a computer course in one of the centers of educational excellence is already a feat.

Angelita Balasabas was born on February 4, 1988 in Davao City. Like her mother, angel is totally blind due to Vitamin A Deficiency.

Angel is a love child and she recalls her childhood days when she and her mother moved from one relative to another because they have no permanent house and what hurts the most is the rejection from her very own father.

Having a blind mother and being blind herself are perhaps enough reasons to be miserable; but because of her strong faith in the Almighty, she weathered every storm and faced the challenges of life.

In September 2007, she finished the Access Technology in Popular Applications (Basic Computer Literacy) training course in ATRIEV. Then another opportunity came when she passed the APC scholarship exam which led to a course in computer technology. Her studies in Metro Manila were made possible through the support of Mr. Craig Reines, an ATRIEV trustee, IBM sponsorship fund, Liliane Foundation and ATRIEV.

The sun started smiling at her. She may not see it but she can feel it. Twist of fate happened and things turned for the better.

Now, Angel’s mom found a more responsible man that she truly deserves. Their marriage was blessed by Angel’s twin brothers. They have their own house and a complete family. Angel is very much a part of the new family; accepted and well-loved by her step-father.

Angel’s story proved the age-old saying that “behind every cloud, there lies a silver lining”.

Erick Marco Ramos

“The big One”

When Mr. Peter Wallace, ATRIEV’s Chairman of the Board, met Erick Marco Ramos for the first time, he referred to him as the “Big One”. That is exactly what Marco is, not only in his size and height, but in many aspects as well.

Like most children, Marco, when he was younger, had big dreams for himself. He wanted to become a doctor, a lawyer, an astronaut, an actor, a rock Superstar and even a Formula-One race car driver. The only difference is that he knew that the only way he can achieve these dreams is to study as hard as he can. Unfortunately, as he grew older, and bigger, blindness robbed him of his sight and his dreams.

Even though congenital retinopathy had taken away his sight at an early age, he proved to his sighted classmates that he can slug it out with the best of them.

IN July 2007, he took ATRIEV’s Access Technology in Popular Applications Training Course. He was one of the top students of that batch. Even so, he never hesitates whenever any of his classmates need help. His fun-loving and high-spirited nature endeared him to his trainers and his peers. He is now one of ATRIEV’s volunteer trainers assisting the most challenging trainees of the school.

His scholastic record in ATRIEV gave him the opportunity to be one of the scholars of Mr. Craig Reines, ATRIEV’s former trustee. He is now a freshman student at the Philippine Normal University taking up education major in communications.

Aside from Marco’s talent in writing, he is also gifted with a beautiful singing voice. His RnB styles gives a fresh look at blind performers. His biggest performance was at the ruby anniversary celebration of Finex held at the Palacio de Manila where he rendered “Knocks me Off my feet”, a Stevie Wonder original. On the upcoming concert of ATRIEV entitled “Stand by Me” on Oct. 22, 2008 at the Meralco Theater, Marco will sing back-to-back with the very talented acoustic artist, Nyoy Volante.

IN the future, Marco dreams to be an International Best-selling Novelist. He said jokingly: “I will only stop dreaming after I drew my last gasping breath!”

That’s Marco. The big dreamer with the big heart and a big future.

Lemilou Arbiol

“The Optimist”

Lemilou, when asked about her dream, exclaimed, “To be a good Mom someday!” Getting married is not her priority at the moment but she plans to have a family of her own in the future.

Lem, as she is fondly called, was born in Cavite on July 21, 1982. She wasn’t able to finish College not only because of her visual impairment but also due to financial difficulty. Lem still has functional eyesight that enabled her to travel and read large print.

At present, she is under the Scholarship Program of IBM Philippines and Asia Pacific College managed and administered by ATRIEV. She is in her First Year at the Asia Pacific College taking up Associate in Computer Technology. Like her favorite song “Only Hope” by Mandy Moore, her only hope is to finish her studies to ENSURE a brighter tomorrow.

She IS VERY GRATEFUL TO all the people, the sponsors and of course ATRIEV who still believe in her ability in spite and despite of her disability.

She said, “Having low vision or being Visually Impaired is not a reason for me to stay home and cry all my life.” She is decided to have a better life that is the reason why she continues to reach OUT FOR THE STARS.

With all the love, understanding and support from her family and friends, Lem is very positive that she can make it to the top.

Shiela Aggarao

“The Go-Getter"

Born on October 29, 1990 in Sablayan Occidental Mindoro; 18-year-old Sheila May Aggarao believes in the saying that “Help yourself and the heavens will help you.” Sheila is a freshman at the Asia Pacific College taking up Associate in Computer Technology.

After finishing high school at Quirino, Sheila thought she had reached a dead end when a reputable university in Metro Manila rejected her because of her visual impairment. Through the efforts of ATRIEV, Sheila took the scholarship exam in Asia Pacific College in May, barely a month before the start of the school year. She passed the exam with convincing grades and was immediately awarded the scholarship in the prestigious college.

Being Low Vision is still an advantage compared to other blind students of her age. She knows that an Open Angle glaucoma is like a “Thief in the Night” That can hit a person blind. Sheila’s computer training in ATRIEV equipped her with the necessary skills that will allow her to be productive whatever the future may bring.

Sheila is an only child and the death of her father last year made her even a stronger person. She is even more determined to finish her course and to be part of the Corporate World someday. She also plans of having a permanent house for her and her mom where they can live comfortably together in the future.

She said, “Life is short, so live your life to the fullest.” Sheila hopes to get the best out of life. She was able to face her past without regret… seizes her present with confidence and prepares for her future without fear.

ATRIEV

Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired