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Personnel from the Office of the Vice President (OVP)–Cagayan Valley Satellite Office personally deliver wheelchairs to beneficiaries of the OVP’s Wheelchair Assistance Program.
Barangay Cabatacan West in Lasam, Cagayan is hard to reach. For four families, the isolation runs deeper — their family members cannot walk.
Barangay Cabatacan West sits within Lasam — known today as the rice bowl of western Cagayan. But for its residents, the town's agricultural abundance has long coexisted with a harder reality: muddy, hazardous paths — nearly impassable during typhoons and heavy rains — cut the barangay off from markets, schools, and emergency services.
For these families, a wheelchair — something every Filipino with a disability deserves — was simply something they could not afford on their own. That is, until the Office of the Vice President (OVP) answered their call.
Refusing to accept that reality, the families applied for assistance under the OVP's Medical Assistance Program. The Office of the Vice President, through its Cagayan Valley Satellite Office, granted their applications. A team traveled to Barangay Cabatacan West, wheelchairs in tow.
Among the beneficiaries is Jan-Jan, who has lived with cerebral palsy since birth. For his father, Ong Bersamina, securing a wheelchair for his son had been a long-held wish — one the family could never quite make happen on their own.
Fifteen-year-old Zyreen has also been unable to walk since childhood. His mother, Jennifer, said that while the family's income is enough to cover their daily needs, a wheelchair had always been just out of reach.
For both families, the assistance meant far more than mobility.
"Lubos po akong nagpapasalamat, Vice President, sa tulong na ibinigay ninyo sa aking anak. Malaking bagay po ito at makakatulong sa kanya, lalo na sa kanyang mga pupuntahan, (I am deeply grateful, Vice President, for the help you have given to my child. This is a great help and will benefit them, especially in the places they need to go).” Jennifer said.
"Maraming salamat po sa ibinigay ninyong wheelchair para sa aming anak. Malaking tulong po ito sa amin upang mailabas namin siya," (Thank you very much for the wheelchair you provided for our child. This is a big help for us, as it allows us to take our child outside) Bersamina added.
The OVP also extended assistance to 17-year-old Jeremy, whose mobility has been limited since childhood due to a spinal cord condition. For years, his wheelchair had served as his legs — helping him navigate daily life. But wear and age had made his old chair uncomfortable and difficult to use. A new one was provided through the same program.
Also among the beneficiaries was senior citizen Alberto, who expressed gratitude that the OVP's programs had reached their town and delivered direct support to those who needed it most.
The visit to Barangay Cabatacan West comes at a fitting time — a newly concreted barangay road has just made the area more accessible. For the four wheelchair recipients, the timing carries its own quiet significance: as the barangay's roads finally open up, so too does a life beyond their doorstep.
Filipinos who wish to apply for wheelchair assistance under the OVP's Medical Assistance Program may do so through any OVP Satellite Office or the OVP Central Office. For more information on requirements and how to apply, visit https://www.ovp.gov.ph/medical-assistance.
Barangay Cabatacan West sits within Lasam — known today as the rice bowl of western Cagayan. But for its residents, the town's agricultural abundance has long coexisted with a harder reality: muddy, hazardous paths — nearly impassable during typhoons and heavy rains — cut the barangay off from markets, schools, and emergency services.
For these families, a wheelchair — something every Filipino with a disability deserves — was simply something they could not afford on their own. That is, until the Office of the Vice President (OVP) answered their call.
Refusing to accept that reality, the families applied for assistance under the OVP's Medical Assistance Program. The Office of the Vice President, through its Cagayan Valley Satellite Office, granted their applications. A team traveled to Barangay Cabatacan West, wheelchairs in tow.
Among the beneficiaries is Jan-Jan, who has lived with cerebral palsy since birth. For his father, Ong Bersamina, securing a wheelchair for his son had been a long-held wish — one the family could never quite make happen on their own.
Fifteen-year-old Zyreen has also been unable to walk since childhood. His mother, Jennifer, said that while the family's income is enough to cover their daily needs, a wheelchair had always been just out of reach.
For both families, the assistance meant far more than mobility.
"Lubos po akong nagpapasalamat, Vice President, sa tulong na ibinigay ninyo sa aking anak. Malaking bagay po ito at makakatulong sa kanya, lalo na sa kanyang mga pupuntahan, (I am deeply grateful, Vice President, for the help you have given to my child. This is a great help and will benefit them, especially in the places they need to go).” Jennifer said.
"Maraming salamat po sa ibinigay ninyong wheelchair para sa aming anak. Malaking tulong po ito sa amin upang mailabas namin siya," (Thank you very much for the wheelchair you provided for our child. This is a big help for us, as it allows us to take our child outside) Bersamina added.
The OVP also extended assistance to 17-year-old Jeremy, whose mobility has been limited since childhood due to a spinal cord condition. For years, his wheelchair had served as his legs — helping him navigate daily life. But wear and age had made his old chair uncomfortable and difficult to use. A new one was provided through the same program.
Also among the beneficiaries was senior citizen Alberto, who expressed gratitude that the OVP's programs had reached their town and delivered direct support to those who needed it most.
The visit to Barangay Cabatacan West comes at a fitting time — a newly concreted barangay road has just made the area more accessible. For the four wheelchair recipients, the timing carries its own quiet significance: as the barangay's roads finally open up, so too does a life beyond their doorstep.
Filipinos who wish to apply for wheelchair assistance under the OVP's Medical Assistance Program may do so through any OVP Satellite Office or the OVP Central Office. For more information on requirements and how to apply, visit https://www.ovp.gov.ph/medical-assistance.
Personal na nagtungo ang Office of the Vice President (OVP)–Cagayan Valley Satellite Office sa Barangay Cabatacan West, Lasam, Cagayan, upang ihatid ang mga wheelchair na handog ng tanggapan para sa ilan nating kababayan na nangangailangan nito.
Isa sa mga benepisyaryo si 15-anyos na si Zyreen, na hindi na nakakalakad simula pa noong siya ay bata. Ayon sa kanyang inang si Jennifer, sapat lamang ang kinikita ng kanilang pamilya para sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan, kaya’t malaking hamon sa kanila ang pagbili ng sariling wheelchair.
Ibinahagi rin niya na naging mahirap ang pag-aalaga kay Zyreen dahil sa kawalan ng wheelchair, kaya’t labis ang kanilang pasasalamat sa handog na wheelchair ng tanggapan.
“Lubos po akong nagpapasalamat, Vice President, sa tulong na ibinigay ninyo sa aking anak. Malaking bagay po ito at makakatulong sa kanya, lalo na sa kanyang mga pupuntahan,” saad ni Jennifer.
Nakatanggap din ng wheelchair si Janjan, na na-diagnose na may cerebral palsy. Para sa ama nitong si Ong Bersamina, higit pa sa simpleng wheelchair, ginhawa at mas malaking kaginhawaan—lalo na sa pag-aalaga sa kanilang anak at sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na pamumuhay—ang hatid nito.
Naalalayan din ng tanggapan ang 17-taong-gulang na si Jeremy, na simula pagkabata ay hirap nang makalakad dahil sa kondisyon sa kanyang spinal cord. Sa loob ng maraming taon, naging mga “paa” niya ang kanyang wheelchair upang makakilos. Gayunman, dahil sa kalumaan, hindi na ito komportable at ligtas gamitin.
Ayon sa kanyang inang si Margie, sa kabila ng mga pagsubok na kanilang kinakaharap, handa nilang gawin ang lahat para sa kanilang anak.
Bagong wheelchair din ang ipinagkaloob kay Alberto, na nagpahayag ng kanyang pasasalamat sa Wheelchair Assistance Program ng OVP. Aniya, malaking bagay para sa kanila na nakararating sa iba’t ibang bayan, kabilang ang kanilang komunidad, ang mga programa at serbisyo ng Tanggapan ng Pangalawang Pangulo.
Ang mga Pilipinong nagnanais mag-apply para sa wheelchair assistance sa ilalim ng Medical Assistance Program ng Office of the Vice President (OVP) ay maaaring magtungo sa alinmang OVP Satellite Office o sa OVP Central Office. Para sa karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa mga kinakailangan at paraan ng pag-aapply, bisitahin ang https://www.ovp.gov.ph/medical-assistance.
Isa sa mga benepisyaryo si 15-anyos na si Zyreen, na hindi na nakakalakad simula pa noong siya ay bata. Ayon sa kanyang inang si Jennifer, sapat lamang ang kinikita ng kanilang pamilya para sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan, kaya’t malaking hamon sa kanila ang pagbili ng sariling wheelchair.
Ibinahagi rin niya na naging mahirap ang pag-aalaga kay Zyreen dahil sa kawalan ng wheelchair, kaya’t labis ang kanilang pasasalamat sa handog na wheelchair ng tanggapan.
“Lubos po akong nagpapasalamat, Vice President, sa tulong na ibinigay ninyo sa aking anak. Malaking bagay po ito at makakatulong sa kanya, lalo na sa kanyang mga pupuntahan,” saad ni Jennifer.
Nakatanggap din ng wheelchair si Janjan, na na-diagnose na may cerebral palsy. Para sa ama nitong si Ong Bersamina, higit pa sa simpleng wheelchair, ginhawa at mas malaking kaginhawaan—lalo na sa pag-aalaga sa kanilang anak at sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na pamumuhay—ang hatid nito.
Naalalayan din ng tanggapan ang 17-taong-gulang na si Jeremy, na simula pagkabata ay hirap nang makalakad dahil sa kondisyon sa kanyang spinal cord. Sa loob ng maraming taon, naging mga “paa” niya ang kanyang wheelchair upang makakilos. Gayunman, dahil sa kalumaan, hindi na ito komportable at ligtas gamitin.
Ayon sa kanyang inang si Margie, sa kabila ng mga pagsubok na kanilang kinakaharap, handa nilang gawin ang lahat para sa kanilang anak.
Bagong wheelchair din ang ipinagkaloob kay Alberto, na nagpahayag ng kanyang pasasalamat sa Wheelchair Assistance Program ng OVP. Aniya, malaking bagay para sa kanila na nakararating sa iba’t ibang bayan, kabilang ang kanilang komunidad, ang mga programa at serbisyo ng Tanggapan ng Pangalawang Pangulo.
Ang mga Pilipinong nagnanais mag-apply para sa wheelchair assistance sa ilalim ng Medical Assistance Program ng Office of the Vice President (OVP) ay maaaring magtungo sa alinmang OVP Satellite Office o sa OVP Central Office. Para sa karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa mga kinakailangan at paraan ng pag-aapply, bisitahin ang https://www.ovp.gov.ph/medical-assistance.