Don’t ignore differently abled

In the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the differently abled is only a segment of a broad classification called "sectoral sports." Somehow, you get the feeling that PWDs (persons with disabilities) in sports aren’t treated the way they should be.

"Funds are very limited," says Mike Barredo, president of the Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled (Philspada). "Venues are not accessible. Equipment, including assistive and adaptive devices, are inadequate. And public awareness for paralympic sports and the need for PWDs to engage in physical fitness activities and to take part in competitive sports is still low. Since the start of the PSC, there has been no representation from the disabled sector although now, there is the Asean Para Games after the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, FESPIC (Far East and South Pacific) Games after the Asian Games, and the Paralympic Games after the Olympics."

Barredo, who lost his sight in a car accident when he was 24 in 1979, isn’t ashamed to admit he’s hoping to be appointed a PSC Commissioner - someday. Not for his personal glory. But for the PWDs he represents.

"The PWDs need to be heard," continues Barredo, a Ten Outstanding Young Men awardee for humanitarian service in 1992. "Because of the growing global emphasis to give recognition to athletes who are differently abled, I think someone from our sector should be appointed to the PSC - if only to promote and strengthen the development of sports for the disadvantaged."

And no one is more qualified to sit in the PWDs’ behalf than Barredo who founded Philspada in 1997 and has organized a wide variety of sporting events for the hearing impaired (deaf), the visually impaired (blind), the orthopedically handicapped (wheelchair bound and amputees), the intellectually disabled, and those with cerebral palsy. Philspada holds regular tournaments in wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, powerlifting, judo, goalball, chess, volleyball, aquatics, and athletics among others. It staged the first National Para Games in Cebu two years ago.

Significantly, it is the differently abled sector that has reaped glowing honors for the country in recent international competitions.

While 20 able-bodied Filipino athletes failed to bag a single medal at the 2000 Olympics, wheelchair-strapped Adeline Dumapong captured a bronze for the Philippines in the 82-kilogram powerlifting event at the Sydney Paralympics that same year. Only two Filipinos wore the national colors in the 11th staging of the Paralympics with over 4,000 athletes and officials from 130 countries participating. For her effort, she was gifted a P500,000 cash reward by the Office of the President and the PSC.

At the 10th Malaysian Paralympiad two years ago, the Philippines captured eight golds, 12 silvers, and 18 bronzes in athletics, aquatics, judo, powerlifting, wheelchair basketball, and soccer. Some 1,200 athletes and officials from five countries congregated for the competition.

At the first Asean Para Games in Kuala Lumpur last year, Arnold Balais - an amputee above the right knee - collected a gold and five bronzes in swimming. In the process, he broke the FESPIC record in the 200-meter freestyle. The Philippines sent a 13-athlete contingent, among the smallest in the 10-nation meet that gathered over 800 athletes and officials. Despite a lean cast, the Philippines brought home four golds, eight silvers, and 12 bronzes in athletics and aquatics. Barredo, head of delegation and chef de mission, tried his hand in javelin but came up short.

The next Asean Para Games will be held in Hanoi next year. And following the rotation system of the SEA Games, the Philippines will host the third Asean Para Games in 2005.

This year, Barredo says he hopes to dispatch athletes to the various event qualifiers for the 2004 Athens Paralympics - the first Tenpin World Championships for the blind in Finland, the World Athletics Championships in Paris, the World Powerlifting Championships in Kuala Lumpur, and the World Judo Championships for the blind in Italy.

Barredo adds that he recently talked to Secretary Angelo Reyes about tapping differently abled soldiers for the Para Games. "Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and other countries call their disabled soldiers to serve and fight for their country through these games," continues Barredo. "A big source of potential athletes with disabilities is the armed forces."

Barredo, who played basketball and football for La Salle, says beyond the differently abled sector, he has ideas to contribute to sports in general, too.

What’s admirable about Barredo is his relentless drive to be productive. When he lost his sight, he didn’t lose his will to live. As I wrote in a 1999 column, the world continued to turn and Barredo refused to get off. He underwent at least 10 eye operations as doctors tried to save his vision but to no avail. Still, Barredo never let it get him down.

Despite his handicap, he set up his own trucking business, became an insurance executive and in 1990, formed his own non-life insurance agency. This year, he’s celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with wife Barbara - they are blessed with two boys, Stephen and Richard.

Barredo, 46, is someone who has made a difference in his life.