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TESTIMONIALS
Let one story inspire us to make another story, better.
Tatay Mariano Ominga, 65, Tondo
“Inabot ko ang 60 na taon na hindi ko kinakailangan ng salamin, kaso nagkaroon ako ng
katarata kaya na-obligado akong alagaan ng mas mabuti ang mata ko, di ko inaasahan na
may magagawa pa palang paraan...”
“I reached the aged of 60 years old without having the need to wear eyeglasses until I had
an eye cataract. I was obliged to take care of my eyes more seriously, I didn’t know that
there still can be done about it…”
Tatay Mariano was a factory worker during his younger years. Vibrant, energetic and very
hardworking, his only way to fend for his family is through the little income he gets from cutting cloth
fabrics used to make t-shirts.
“Talagang mahirap ang trabaho ko sa factory dati kasi bukod sa paulit-ulit ang trabaho sa
facory, yung paligiod ay madaming alikabok na nasisinghot ko at nakakairita sa mata ko.”
“Working in a factory is very difficult as the work is repetitively tiring at times and the
environment is dusty. I inhaled dust and it also caused irritation to my eyes.”
One day he woke up and noticed that his vision is not clear.
“Parang may mga ulap-ulap, Malabo ang paningin ko at hindi ko maaninag ang mga tao.
Natakot ako pero wala naman ako masabihan.kinabahan lang ako.
“My vision is cloudy I couldn’t see well. I can’t recognize faces so I got really scared but I
didn’t tell it to anyone, I just felt nervous.”
During one of the mission of SPECS, Tatay Mariano met a SPECS volunteer MS. Maritoni (surname)
who helped him through referring an eye specialist, Dra. Santos to Tatay Mariano after finding out
from the screening that he needs further eye check up. It was then soon concluded that Tatay’s
eyes needs to be surgically operated.
2. Since Tatay Mariano is a senior citizen, and his family members are busy working, SPECS’s Maritoni
went out of her way just to make sure that Tatay Mariano is able to process his papers for the
PHILHEALTH to cover his cataract surgery.
“Maganda, magaling, magaling. Ako ay nagpapasalamat sa SPECS dahil natulungan nila
ako na gawan ng paraan ang paggaling ng aking mata. Kinabahan na ako nung una, hindi
ko alam na nakakabulag pala talaga ang katarata.
“Very good, brilliant, brilliant… I am truly thankful to what SPECS did to me. They helped me
do something about my condition. I was scared at first and then I found out that I really have
a reason to be scared as my eye cataract can seriously cause blindness.”
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Mang Rodrigo Bucabo, 59, Tondo
In October 2012, Mang Rodrigo had a stroke which affected his motor activities. He went to the Eye
Train Clinic with a relative as he needs to be assisted with a walker. He can’t move fast unlike before
he had stroke which gives him frustration. But what is more frustrating for him is that even his eyesight
has been affected by the stroke causing a damage to his left eye’s nerve. The damage though
mild is irritating and causing him pain.
“Laging masakit yung kaliwang mata ko, nhihirapan tuloy ako makakaita. Bukod dun, lagi
pa itong kumukurap, nahihirapan ako talga.”
“My left eye is always in pain. I am having difficulty with it. Aside from that my left eye blinks
too often that makes me irritable.”
Mang Rodrigo hopes to find a solution with this eye condition as he tries his best to overcome the
negative effects he had due to stroke. He tries to live healthily now by changing his lifestyle and
hopes to be able to work again as a jeepney driver.
“Nung nalaman naming na may ganitong clinic, din a akami nagdalawang isip pa para
ipacheck up yung mata kong laging kumukurap. Natutuwa ako kasi hindiko an kailangan
pang pumunta sa malayo para ipatingin mata ko.
“When we learned that there’s an existing eye clinic here, we did not hesitate to have my
eyes checked. I am happy because I do not need to go far for my eye check up.”
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Kelvin David, 15, Tondo
Kelvin David is a special child and he has a Down Syndrome. Due to this condition, his vision is
affected.
Kelvin goes to school in Jose Rizal where Special Education is offered. He is now in Grade 2 level.
3. According to his caregiver, Kelvin is kind, cooperative and is eager to learn. However in class, he is
not able to participate very well due to his poor vision.
“Parang kumukurap-kurap lagi ang mata nya, pag nasa bahay nakikita namin. Nasasabi din
ng mga teachers nya na sumasakit daw ulo ni Kevin kapag nasa klase” as told by Kelvin’s
caregiver.
“His eyes are always blinking especially at home. According to his teachers Kelvin also
complains having headaches when in class.”
During his check up at the Eye Train, Kelvin was so excited wearing his new pair of glasses. His
caregiver was just as excited to bring Kelvin home with a hope that Kelvin would do better at school
with no headache to complain.
“Maraming salamat po sa SPECS, yung ganitong tulong ay nakakagaan ng pakiramdam lalo
na sa mga pamilya ng may mga special na bata.”
Thank you very much to SPECS… this kind of help lightens our burden especially that in our
family we have a special child that needs special need.
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Melody Mendoza, 29, Tondo
Melody is a young mother whose husband works as a warehouse man. Their income is only enough
for their little children’s milk and their everyday supply of food. She went to the Eye Train after
eharing about it I their local baranggay. According to her, she did not hesistate to go because it is
an opportunity for her to have her eyes checkled as shee noticed she’s having difficulty recognizing
faces from a far.
“Kung wala po itong clinic, hindi din po ako makakapagpatingin sa mata. Ang alam kop o
kasi, mahal yung ganito at wala anman po kaming extra na pambayad para ditto. Ngayon
po may salamin na ako kaya talagang Masaya po ako kasi mas nakakakita na po ako ng
malinaw. Matagl na rin po pala akong nagtitiis.”
“If this clinic is not here, I wouldn’t be able to have my eyes checked. I know because going
to eye clinics is costly and I do not really have the money to pay for consultation. Now I have
my own eyeglasses, I am truly happy because I can see clearly now. I just realized I have
been living with it for a long time.”
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Clinic Assistants: “we only have little, but we can give a lot.”
The story of Jimmy and Justin
Jimmy C. Labadbad, 18
4. Jimmy is one of the clinic personnel who have been actively assisting the marketing director in
spreading information about the clinic to nearby barangays through leafleting and barangay
announcements and coordination. When he is not doing fieldwork, you can find him in the clinic
cueing patients and assisting the eye clinicians and interns especially on days when the clinic is full
and busy.
He smiles and communicates effectively with patients and doctors making clinic coordination
effective and smooth.
Looking at Jimmy, one may notice a deep sense of dedication to the amount of work he puts in for
the clinic, what is surprising about him perhaps is that this young boy from Zamboanga, (Southern
part of the Philippines), actually went to Manila to help his parents earn a living for their family,
especially his three siblings. He studied a vocational course (electrician) in TESDA but he initially
worked as a subdivision cleaner/janitor and also as a “pulot boy” (one who assists tennis players) in
the tennis court of the said subdivision.
SPECS Founder Andronica Roma noticed the dedication of this young man with his simple job and
offered him to work as a warehouse staff. Jimmy’s resilience and dedication in his work were
commendable hence he was offered to join SPECS Foundation to assist with the doctors and
patients full-time.
“Iba pong kasiyahan sa trabaho ang nabibigay sakin ng SPECS. Dito po kasi, hindi lang ako
nagiging parte ng pagtulong kundi ako po mismo yung sarili ko nakikita ko natutulungan ko
rin. Natuto po akong kumausap sa tao.
“There’s a different kind of happiness that I get from this work. At SPECS, I have not just
become an instrument of helping people but I, myself, I can see it, (that) I am learning. (For
example) I learned now how to communicate with different people.”
Jan Justin Valdez, 20
Justin worked as a warehouse staff before he was invited by SPECS Founder Andronica Roma to
work with Jimmy as a clinic assistant. According to Justin, his job at SPECS was one of the rewarding
experiences he had in his life considering that he is able to serve patients who are less fortunate and
need their assistance.
Since Justin had a background training as optician he sees his work in SPECS as an extension of that
training. Only that at SPECS he has come face to face with people who actually need their help.
“Yung kahalagahan ng trabaho ng pagiging optician, mas naintindihan ko ngayon. kasi
nakikita ko na madami yungmay kailangan ng serbisyo na ito. Mas Masaya ako na andito
ako sa SPECS kasi madami ako natututunan.”
“The value of the work of an optician becomes clearer to me now. This is because I can see
the magnitude of help needed in this kind of service. I am happier (now) that I’m part of
SPECS because I am able to help a lot of people.”
