Limbless youth marches with a degree

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — Poverty is not a hindrance to success, so they say. Thus, there is so much more when success is achieved despite poverty and severe physical disability.

This was the case of a poor and limbless 19-year-old youth from a far-flung village here who graduated recently with a Bachelor of Secondary Education degree, a feat he achieved with the assistance of the Nueva Vizcaya Press Club (NVPC).

Despite being born without arms, Marlon Suni, of Barangay Careb in obscure Bagabag town, did not make his disability a hindrance to his achieving his long-time dream of earning a degree.

Four years ago, not satisfied with merely getting a high school diploma, Marlon applied for a scholarship being offered by the NVPC in partnership with the PLT College, one of the region’s fast-rising tertiary educational institutions.

Compared with his fellow NVPC scholars, Marlon’s situation was doubly difficult because he, having no arms, had to physically adapt to a college environment.

To his credit, Marlon, the second eldest of three siblings of poor parents, sometimes even used his disability to his advantage by getting free meals and lodging and earning extra money from bicycle and boat rentals at the provincial capitol here in a project managed by the Provincial Federation of Persons with Disabilities.

Marlon also got help from his physically abled fellow scholars and classmates who gladly brought him in his wheelchair from one classroom to another.

Marlon belonged to the first batch of indigent Novo Vizcayano students who completed their chosen four-year and three-year courses under the scholarship program, dubbed Edukasyon Para sa Mahihirap, of the NVPC and PLT College.

Three other scholars — Ronald Federico (Criminology), Recto Nadiahan (Commerce) and Fernan Alejandrino (Associate in Computer Science) — received their diplomas, along with Marlon, during the 13th commencement exercises of PLT College, headed by its president Purisimo Tiam, last May 28.

Marlon stood taller than the more than a thousand PLT graduates despite his being less than four feet tall as he was the most applauded during the commencement rites.

Surely, Marlon’s feat brings inspiration and pride, especially to those with physical disabilities, said Norma Navoa, associate editor of the newsweekly Vizcaya Advocate and one of the NVPC advisers.

Navoa, one of those who spearheaded the scholarship program, said that a year ago, two other poor students — Reinalda Valdez and Joralyn Gumangan, both of Barangay Uddiawan, Solano town — completed two-year courses under the program, which still has 19 remaining scholars, mostly from mountain villages.