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IAMRAFI: The Sightless Visionary

The Story of Mateo Saga Quilas, Ramon Aboitiz Award for Exemplary Individual Finalist, RAFI Triennial Awards

By Joy Emma Masapequeña,  Marco Paulo Trajano Deligero | March 28, 2019

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It has been almost three decades since Mateo “Noy Toting” Saga Quilas lost his eyesight. Instead of succumbing to the adversities of his disability, Noy Toting rose above it and has since been the leading force in enriching the lives of the persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the province of Bohol. 

This is the story of Noy Toting and his journey on becoming one of the finalists of the last run of the RAFI Triennial Awards, under the Ramon Aboitiz Award for Outstanding Individual Category last August 31, 2018.

When Darkness First Came 

Noy Toting, as he is fondly called by family and friends, was only 33 years old when he began to experience seeing black or blurry patches in his vision.

This obscured his sight to the point where some objects appear to be disappearing. Once the symptoms started, his eyesight began deteriorating rapidly. He was later diagnosed with Glaucoma —, which happens when extra fluid increases the pressure in the eyes, damaging the optic nerve. The first two years, for him, were the hardest and lowest points in his life.

“Usa ni siya sa akong nasugatan na problema…two years ko nag-adjust sa akong life. Blindness disability is very, very mahirap (This is one of the problems I faced… it took me two years to adjust with my life. Blindness disability is very, very hard),”

He has never known true darkness until the time he became blind. Living every day as a person with visual impairment was already hard enough, feeling self-pity was another challenge he had to hurdle through.  

“Gikapoy na ko’g panglimos’ (I’m tired of begging),” he said with strong indignation. This pushed him to move forward to the next step.

Finding A Purpose, Emerging Out of the Darkness

Four years after being diagnosed with Glaucoma, he met fellow PWDs who shared the same sentiments that he had — they deserve a better life than begging.

“Niadto ko’s Cebu para makat-on ug massage therapy, nya balik dinhi para akong itudlo sa uban (I went to Cebu to learn massage therapy, and returned here to teach others),”

With the help of 11 other fellow PWDs, he established the Bohol Federation of Persons with Disability Inc. (BFPDI). The federation advocates gathering support from the government and other private institutions for programs concerning the welfare of PWDs. 

“…advocacy jud namo ang livelihood sa PWD nga anaa sila’y enough na panginabuhian. Sama sa mga trainings para mahimong licensed massage therapists, atong mga schemes sa singing group nga makit-an nato sa pantalan and airport, and mga tourist places dinhi sa Bohol (Our advocacy really is for PWDs to have their own livelihood. We conduct trainings for them to become licensed massage therapists, and we also have schemes like talents in piers, airports, and tourist places in Bohol),”

In Bohol, their livelihood initiatives for Persons with disabilities have already covered one city, 47 municipalities, and 1,109 barangays. From a measly number of 11 members, their federation have now grown to 8,887 members.

Noy Toting’s Advocacy: Empowerment and Awareness

The efforts toward a better life for the PWDs in his hometown are closely supervised by Noy Toting. He says he continues doing this so that, “ma-aware sila sa ilang mga rights and privilege (they will be aware of their rights and privilege),”

With the help of different National and Local Government Agencies such as Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education and Skills Development Agency (TESDA), Nong Toting conducted several training to raise awareness on the right of persons with disabilities.

“Nag-conduct ko’g mga orientation, led by mga mayor, ug ang atong mga national agencies nga nag-cover sa PDW na rights, usa sila sa akong mga partner (I conduct orientations, led by the mayor, and I also partner with national agencies that cover PWD rights. Such as DOLE and TESDA),”

He also spearheaded the efforts for the compliance of the Accessibility Law among the new buildings in Bohol.

He proudly shared that, “we also already have the approval for a barrier-free tourism ordinance where government and private buildings, and tourist places are now accessible to the PWDs),”

Noy Toting also shared one of his advocacies for the Persons with disabilities to apply their skills, and choose which skills they want to home through government programs.

Anything worth It Is Worth Fighting For

Noy Toting has the ability to make ushering change look easy, but such is not the case.

Behind the beaming, kind face, is a man who has faced numerous challenges to get to where he is today.

When asked about the challenges he faced, he said, “Usahay kanang mamisita ko sa mga mayor, usahay di ta tagdon, usahay dili ta matagad tungod sa ka-busy (When I visit the mayor, sometimes they could not attend to me because they are so busy),”

These challenges did not stop him from trying repeatedly.

“Dapat dili ka muundang. Ang akoa, kailangan jud nimo ug fighting spirit, strong determination, dapat strategic sa networking ug pag-lobby sa mga agency (You should not stop. For me, the key is to have a fighting spirit, strong determination, strategic networking and lobbying in the agencies),”

Noy Toting also said that advocating the rights of Persons with disabilities is difficult and regardless of how many times he was disregarded, he still goes on because for him, this is not personal, this is for the disability sector.

“The cities that refuse me, those are the ones that I always go back to because this is not personal. This is for the sector. Thank God because today those hard-to-tap cities are okay now. They have given support to us already,” Noy Toting said.

Changes That Happened Since Becoming President

His efforts are all worth it as the changes that occurred ever since he took the helm of PDAO Bohol as its president are astounding. One of which is the inclusion of their sector in the government’s annual budget.

“Ang mga PDW man gud sa unang panahon kay di gyud i-apil sa budget pero karon, may budget na… meron nang mga ordinansa, sa province, cities, down to municipalities, and barangays,”

“And ang 1% sa ating mga barangay nagbigay ng mga kapital na nagamit na sa mga PWD (the PWDs before are not included in the budget, but that is not the case anymore… there is already an ordinance. The barangays give 1% and we have used that as capital),”

He also ensured remain self-sustaining by training them on massage therapy, caroling, and other means of earning an honest and dignified living.

“Naghatag tabang ko nila ug livelihood pinaagi sa tabang sa DOLE, kanang Tulong Alalay sa May Kapansanan sa DOLE na naka-capital sila’ (I was able to help them have a livelihood through DOLE’s ‘Tulong Alalay sa May Kapansanan’),”

Procuring Assistive Devices for PWDs

Additionally, Noy Toting has collaborated with other foundations like Tzu Chi Foundation in Zamboanga and Cebu to provide prosthetic limbs and other assistive devices to PWDs in Bohol.

“Sila ang nagtabang sa atong mga advocacy na mga PWDs na gusto pa sila makatrabaho, makalakaw sila. Tzu Chi na akong partner na every year nag-grant mi ug mga tiil sa mga PWDs na nagkinahanglan (They helped the PWDs who still want to work by making them walk again. Tzu Chi is my partner every year when we grant assistive devices to the PWDs who need them),”

New Homes, New Hopes

Noy Toting shares how happy he was when the housing village for PWDs in Panglao was finally built. Thanks to the help of the many LGUs in the province, as well as the Habitat for Humanity Foundation. He, along with the other members of the federation, were able to convince the National Housing Authority (NHA) to allocate P12M for the construction of 45 units in the said village

“Ang atong mga PWD kay naa na sad SSS, PhilHealth, naa an sad sila’y housing’ (Our PWDs now also have SSS, Philhealth, and housing),”

With all these changes, Noy Toting believes that, “PWDs are now empowered, they now have access to quality education… they are now recognized by the government. They are included in everything),” 

“Wala na’y nabiyaan’ (No one is left behind),” he said.

The Sightless Visionary’s Plans for the Future

When asked about his next steps, Noy Toting said that, “in time, our country would be barrier-free. There are no PWDs left behind, they are included in all of the government’s programs. That is one of my mission and vision,”

Aside from replicating what he did to Bohol to the entire country, he also aims to help the other underserved groups of Bohol – the mentally challenged. He reports that he has already been making the arrangements necessary to make this possible. 

Noy Toting on His Life’s Greatest Lessons

Noy Toting said that what he learned is the importance of prayer in our life and well-being.

“Usa sa akong nakat–unan sa kinabuhi nga kinahanglan mahinangpuon ta, mapailobon, survive ta sa atong mga ikatabang sa mga tawo diri sa mga Persons with disabilities’ (One of the lessons I learned from life is that we have to pray, to persevere, and to survive so that we can continue to give to the PWDs),”

He also shared his life mission on advocating the lives of Persons with disabilities, praying that all his efforts will continue to make a difference.

“One of my life missions is for my advocacy to continue; that what I am doing now will continue,”

“If there’s more that Persons with disabilities need then I will help, I will continue as long as I’m alive. No retreat, no surrender,”

“I will bring the voice of the Persons with disabilities. All the things I have done in Bohol, I want to replicate it to the whole Philippines as well,”

Standpoint: Sightless But Never Hopeless

Noy Toting have faced many adversities in the past, blindness being one that almost impaired him of hope.

Yet he remained steadfast in his efforts for the pursuit of betterment and change.

He may have lost his sight, but he was still able to make a huge impact because he speaks in a language that even the hearing impaired can hear and the visually impaired can see — kindness and compassion.

People like Noy Toting showed us that our impediments should never hinder us from having a vision.

His story is a testament that even in our bleakest moments; we can emerge as the light that illuminates the darkness.

We write our own story, we shape our own dreams, and for Noy Toting, we see through our very own vision. We may become sightless, but never hopeless. #IAMRAFI 

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