He proved it right, indeed

DISABILITY indeed is not a hindrance to make a living.

Forty-two-year-old Kagay-anon candle vendor, Rodelin Basalo, proved it right, saying his disability would not and could not disable him as a person who wants to live a decent life. He proved it right, indeed.

Basalo was proud telling Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that feeding his own stomach and members of his family’s religiously and respectably is what the cripple man is keen of. Selling candles in front of Saint Augustine Cathedral church is what pelvic bone-injured man chose for a living.

He’s been actually selling candles for Catholic devotees three years already since his disablement after he fell from a ladder. But, he said, he is proud to become one of the candle vendors who show church goers how inspiring it is to light a candle at the church.

A former farmer, Basalo now sells candles while his 18-year-old son takes care of their small corn farm located at a hinterland in the city. In fact, it is the disable man’s major source to sustain his family’s daily food needs. He really proved it right, indeed.

For P1, P5 and P10, Basalo earns a net income of roughly P200 a day by selling three sizes of candles. This excludes the expenses for their three-meal food consumption. Indeed, he proved it right again.

Basalo is a member of Candle Vendors Association in Cagayan de Oro. He was one of the local residents to benefit a government-funded project for disable persons three years ago. Over P60,000 worth of cash that Basalo had received as start-up capital for his chosen livelihood.

Living with his wife and nine children, Basalo admits life is not easy.

“Kinahanglan lang gyud ug pasensiya sa imong gipili nga panginabuhi aron nga mabuhi (You have to be patient to your chosen field to sustain your needs,” said the man. “Laay man sad nga magpuyo-ay lang sa balay (it’s tiresome to be stuck at home),” adds the hardworking man with disability. “Ganahan pud ko dinhi kay makakita kog lain-laing tawo (I do actually liked it here because I can meet different people).”

When it’s time to say “thank you and goodbye” to the soft-spoken disable man, he told: “Maayo unta ug mahimo ko’ng inspirasyon sa tanan nga makabasa sa inyong sulat (Hopefully, I could become an inspiration to your readers).” (Mariel Igot, Liceo De Cagayan University Intern)