THE Philippines was once declared "polio-free" for 19 years, until the virus resurged in a confirmed laboratory test in September this year.
Prior to the country being declared polio-free, Adrian Tamayo was among those children who acquired the virus, which led to the deformity of his one leg back when he was still nine months old.
Born and raised in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, Tamayo shared how his path towards growing up wasn't accessible.
He was already eight years old when he started Grade 1 because of the 10-kilometer distance his parents needed to traverse. His parents eventually adjusted and moved nearer to his school.
His classmates and teachers might specially treat him because of his condition but he proved that he could also be a normal kid. On average, he would stumble 10 times a day, whenever he would stand and sit for too long.
Although he would envy his classmates for not being able to participate in physical and strenuous activities, his condition gave him motivation to strive in his academics.
Because of his eagerness to stand out from the rest, he was elected as student council president of the University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep) Obrero in college.
Tamayo was also bestowed the first "Outstanding Graduate" of Usep in 2004, an award given to students who showed exemplary performance in leadership.
While he was glad for the recognition, he doesn't see himself as "excellent," saying he just do things he believe he is capable of doing. Never in his life, he said, that he questioned his current state, even calling it a "gift."
This eventually landed him different opportunities in the academe, wherein he was able to teach from different schools in the city. He eventually landed a job at the Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) as a communications head, a task far from his Economics degree, which went smoothly in the long run.
In 2018, the late Minda chair Secretary Abul Khayr Dangcal Alonto gave him a task to be one of the advocates for the push towards a federal-type of government in the country, a dream that President Rodrigo Duterte, himself, is a staunch advocate.
Federalism was something that is close to Tamayo's heart because according to him he himself experienced the struggles brought by deprivation of the country's resources in his hometown.
"Perhaps this had led to me acquiring polio because I was not given the vaccine brought by the poor health services in my hometown," he said.
Just like himself, he called the country's current government system a "disability" brought by the continuous existence of poverty.
While he believes that federalism is a long way to go for the country, he was honored for the opportunity given to him by the late Alonto to give insights and awareness in making it more understandable to the marginalized.
Just like the road towards federalism, his journey towards making a change is still a rough road he need to cross.
"What I learned in life is that this saying: when you stumble and fall, you will rise. It's not only a cliché idiomatic expression," he said.
He also believes that everyone has the responsibility to improve themselves, whether with an existing disability or not.
"Remember, we always have a share in this life. We have to improve ourselves. What current gifts we have, we have to take care of it, for the improvement of ourselves and to others," Tamayo ended.