The National Children’s Hospital (NCH) is the second home of Magiting Gonzalez, a person with autism who currently works with the hospital’s Child Development Center. As an Admin Aide 1, he handles clerical tasks for the hospital.
The National Children’s Hospital (NCH) is the second home of Magiting Gonzalez, a person with autism who currently works with the hospital’s Child Development Center. As an Admin Aide 1, he handles clerical tasks for the hospital.
“Ako yung nagso-sort ng papeles, at nagde-deliver sa Medical Records (I sort and deliver paperwork to Medical Records),” Magiting explains. “Marami akong tasks na nasa schedule, at ginagawa ko lahat ng mabuti. Dapat magsipag. (I have many tasks on my schedule, and I do all of them well. I have to work hard.)”
While Magiting only began working with the CDC and its affiliated therapy departments this past January 2018, he officially began work at the NCH in early 2016 as a contractual worker of the administrative office. He was regularized in October 2016 because of his diligence and his consistent performance with his tasks. Prior to his work at the NCH, he also worked at the National Youth Commission as a library assistant.
When asked which job he prefers, Magiting beams. “Gusto ko sila pareho. Masaya. (I like them both. It’s happy.)” He is also equally fond of his various tasks at the NCH. “Paborito ko silang lahat. Dapat magaling ako sa lahat. (They’re all my favorite tasks. I should be good at all of them.)” Magiting has his own office at the CDC, with a detailed rundown of his daily schedule posted on the cabinets. Even appropriate nap times are included in the schedule, to make sure he gets a good amount of rest.
“Memorize na yan ni Magiting lahat (Magiting has memorized all of that),” explains Ms. Ella Lopez, a physical therapist and Magiting’s current supervisor. “Talagang sinusundan niya yung schedule niya; lagi mong alam kung nasaan siya, kahit anong oras (He really follows his schedule; you always know where he is at any time).”
Ms. Lopez is all praises for Magiting’s work performance. She explains that when Magiting is given instructions, he follows them through to the letter, even if he would sometimes take amusing side trips to visit other offices along the way. “Minsan talaga bumibisita pa siya sa ibang office. Pero never siyang na-la-late. Kung may dapat gawin, nagagawa niya (Sometimes he really visits other offices, but he’s never late. If something needs doing, he does it).”
For Ms. Jean Gonzales, Magiting’s mother, the journey may have had its challenges, but it has been more fulfilling than anything else. “I am very happy he’s quite independent, living a full life.” She and the rest of the family have been very supportive of Magiting’s work, and they acknowledge the positive effect it has had. “Working, being with other people, following rules: these are good routines. Magiting has become more sociable, he has many friends, he joins other employees for teambuilding, and that’s what it’s really about. He’s living a regular life as an advantage of being employed,” Ms. Gonzales explains.
Ms. Lopez is just as optimistic for Magiting, and she wants him to be able to do more. “Kaya niya. Mas marami pa siyang pwedeng gawin na clerical work, and talagang dedicated siya (He can do it. There’s so much more clerical work that he can do, and he’s truly dedicated).” She hopes that as time goes by, their superiors will add to his responsibilities to make better use of his abilities.
“Mababait silang lahat (They’re all nice people),” Magiting enthuses, when talking about his colleagues. He is all smiles when he’s asked about how he feels about work in general, and it’s clear that his joy is in being able to perform well. “Masayang-masaya ako dito. Dapat talaga mag-sipag, at kakayanin ko lahat (I’m very happy here. It’s important to be industrious, and I will do my best to handle everything).”
This is the second in a series of special features on Persons with Disability in a variety of workplaces, both in the private and the public sectors. Stay tuned to the “May 1% Ka Ba?” campaign via https://www.facebook.com/ProjectInclusionPH/.
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This 2018, the Australian Embassy and the Asia Foundation Partnership in the Philippines, through Fully Abled Nation and Project Inclusion, shines the spotlight on workplace inclusion through “May 1% Ka Ba?”, an advocacy campaign promoting access to work opportunities for Persons with Disability.
Fully Abled Nation (FAN) was established in 2011 as a multi-sectoral coalition with constituents from various government agencies, civil society organizations, disabled peoples’ organizations, and the private sector. In the 2013 and 2016 elections, FAN partnered with COMELEC and made elections more accessible for PWDs. This year, under the Coalitions for Change (CfC), FAN focuses on inclusive education and inclusive employment.
Project Inclusion is a program of Unilab Foundation, Inc. that enables access to work opportunities for PWDs. Since its inception in 2013, the program has provided improved work access to over 600 PWDs, more than 200 of them are now employed in various industries. For more information on Project Inclusion, visit http://www.unilabfoundation.org/ or contact projectinclusion@unilabfoundation.org.