‘Yakap’: Embracing each other’s differences

You can’t help but be touched by Yakap, a special film about children with special needs.

As a mom, you can’t help swell with pride as you watch Kevin Avelino, 45, with global developmental delay, diligently pushing wheelchairs  for persons with disability, delightfully serving food for special adults, and brilliantly conducting therapy sessions for them.

Fact is, the very independent Kevin has  taken on assorted odd jobs, like doing clerical work at Avon, putting pizzas in boxes at Shakey’s, being a bagger for a supermarket, and helping in a special needs institution. Certainly, Kevin’s mom never stops dreaming of the day when Kevin would find the girl of his dreams, settle down, and have a family of his own.

You can’t help tear up (soon, you notice there’s not a dry eye around) as you listen to the siblings of Gelli Aventajado, 4, with Down Syndrome, talk about how much they love their little sister and how they respect that she’s different from them. You can’t help but empathize with a mom’s angst as she confesses her fears of people laughing, staring, and pointing at her precious little Gelli.

You can’t help wanting to reach out to AJ De Quiroz, 8, with epilepsy, autism, and global developmental delay, as he struggles to do the most basic things like putting on his clothes and brushing his teeth.  Despite the family’s lack of funds, AJ is never lacking in love and support from his parents who consider him a gift, a blessing, and truly special in a different way.

Three-In-One Treat

Yakap is three poignant stories woven into one that’s bound to touch the heart, nay stir the soul.

The 54-minute film is produced by Dolores Cheng, the intrepid spirit behind The Center for Possibilities Foundation (CFP) and herself mom to a special child. She calls it her “own coming to terms” with the condition of her son Andreas, now 22, diagnosed with global developmental delay when he was three years old. “There were no support groups for his particular type of disability, I didn’t know where to go, who to see, where to find what I needed to know. I wanted to understand what it meant to raise a child with special needs. So I thought that maybe if I formed a group of my own, I would be able to ring a call to other people who might be in the same boat and need some help,” says Dolores who founded CFP 10 years ago.

The mission/vision of CFP can be described in one word: inclusion. Inclusion of persons with special needs into the mainstream population in a compassionate society. “We come from different backgrounds, different types of families and family lives, representing how the world is,” Dolores strongly asserts.

The CFP board is quite a diverse mix, too: finance expert Renato Reyes, educators Cynthia and Lito Gonzalez, restaurateurs, car enthusiasts, civic leaders Vangie and Dieter Jaehn, mommy blogger Michelle Ressa Aventajado, jeweller Geeta Chulani,  producer Yvonne de Paula, co-parent of a special child Totoy Garcia, publisher Maricris Lim Pineda, accomplished netizen Mark Ignacio, and spiritual adviser Fr. Gerard Deveza.

CFP has promoted inclusion in underserved sectors through support groups, literature, film showing, and orientation. It has published books on persons with special needs (There’s Something You Should Know About Me)  and organized events such as special football tournaments that let the kids show off their athletic prowess.

So far, the biggest project CFP has embraced is, yes, Yakap, a film directed by Danny Añonuevo, with music by Jessie Lasaten and post production color grading by Issa Gonzalez. This special movie gives a glimpse into a day in the lives of three special kids: Evangeline “Gelli” Aventajado, Aaron Joshua “AJ” De Quiroz, and Kevin Avelino, via stories told from the points of view of their parents. “Nothing was scripted, everything that you will see is natural and unplanned,” Dolores shares.

The movie is capped by a music video with lyrics written by Dolores Cheng and music by Charo Unite.

Yakap means to embrace, as, in line with its vision, CFP wishes “for all children with disability to be embraced into the mainstream of our lives and to be treated the way we treat each other — with compassion, respect, dignity and acceptance,” Dolores points out.

Portraits Of Courage

No ordinary movie, Yakap is doubly special as it presents profiles of true courage. Dolores elaborates, “Courage of the children whose disabilities are the only realities they have ever known, and who live their lives the only way they know how, in spite of curious stares, pointing fingers, and hidden smiles. And the courage of parents and family members who may have grown up thinking normal was everything but ended up learning that different can be the new normal.”

Due to lack of funds, the film took three years to make. And now, CFP hopes to bring the film to different places “to generate more awareness of the need to respect the potential and promise of persons with special needs.”

Dolores adds,  “We would be very happy to do special screenings. We can visit schools and would be more than willing to tie up with community organizations.”

Special screenings of Yakap may be arranged through CFP at centerforpossibilities.asia or call 723-1242, 09188881759.

CFP also hopes to build and operate Special Education (SPED) Centers for indigent communities, for children with special needs who are undiagnosed and untreated. Its Sagada SPED Center is now open. The  Norzagaray, Bulacan SPED Center is expected to open later this year, while the Tacloban and Sorsogon SPED Centers are set to open in 2017.

Each SPED Center will be operated by a teacher trained in the SPED division of Reach International School.

“In many parts of the country, especially in remote areas, there is no government center dedicated to the identification, recognition, much less support and treatment of persons with special needs,” Dolores asserts. “Many special children are physically mature but have cognitive and behavioral challenges so it is imperative that we create centers of learning that can teach them some skills with which they can live with some form of independence and dignity. Enrolment in the SPED Center is free so it helps alleviate the cost of taking care of special children from the families. These centers will also include parent support groups.”

Yes, get out and touch, nay, embrace a special child.

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Log on to centerforpossibilities.asia or call 723-1242 or 09188881759.

“Yakap” is supported by Rustan’s  Commercial  Corporation, Gruppo Mobili Philippines, Inc., AY Foundation, Inc., Royal Duty Free Subic, Marks & Spencer, Mamou Restaurant, Ralph’s Wines & Spirits, Rustan Marketing Corporation, Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines  Inc., Leslie Corporation – Clover Chips, Miladay, Orogem, The Phinma Foundation, Inner Peace Foundation Inc. Manila, Music Master (Music School & Recording Arts), nananadal Public Relations & Events Management, The Philippine STAR,  PDI, Crossover 105.1 FM, and Retro DCG –FM –105.9.

Definition of terms ( from Wikipedia):

• Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all, or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is typically associated with physical growth delays, characteristic facial features, and mild-to-moderate intellectual disability.

• Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted and repetitive behavior.

• Global developmental delay is an umbrella term used when children are significantly delayed in their cognitive and physical development. There is usually a more specific condition which causes this delay, such as Fragile X Syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities.