Ben Madilynn
Although Gaquing earned a stable income from massage therapy, his fortunes took another hit when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, causing people to avoid physical touch and significantly reducing his income.
“Nag-massage ko from 2016 to pandemic. Pag-pandemic, naundang ang massage tanan. Pagbalik sa pandemic, medyo mingaw na kaayo ang massage. Gamay na kaayo’g income,” Gaquing said.
(I did massage therapy from 2016 until the pandemic. When the pandemic started, all massage services stopped. After the pandemic, the massage business was quite slow, and the income was significantly reduced.)
“Sa katong pag-pandemic, nahimong turning point. Nag-focus man sad gyud ko sa massage ra. Nalimtan pud nako… kining naa pud koy family, naa na koy duha ka anak,” Gaquing said.
(During the pandemic, it became a turning point. I was very focused on massage therapy. I also forgot that I have a family and now have two children.)
Fortunately, a friend helped him secure a job order position with the Local School Board of the Cebu City Hall, providing a much-needed opportunity to reenter the workforce. He was then assigned at CCPL in September 2021 on a work-from-home arrangement, with him helping the blind with their studies.
Although Gaquing is grateful for the opportunities that have come his way, it took him several years to find a job that matches his adroitness, a sentiment shared by many visually impaired individuals.
“Murag naa sa ilang hunahuna ba nga dili gyud ka diha bastabasta nga madawat kay ig compare, daghan kaayo kag kompetensya nga pagpang-apply kay, of course, tan-aw nila sa imong disability, less productive ka imong pagka-visually compared,” Gaquing said.
(It seems like they think you’re not easily accepted because, in comparison, there’s a lot of competition when applying. Of course, they see your disability and might view you as less productive because of your visual impairment.)
