Laughter and learning filled the air as children and youth with disabilities from across the Bicol Region came together for a powerful two-day conference organized by NORFIL Foundation Inc., in partnership with local youth organizations. Held from April 23 to 24 at GABZ’K Resort Hotel in Irosin, Sorsogon, the event wasn’t just a safe space, but a platform and a celebration of empowerment and inclusion.
This gathering marked the third and final leg of a national conference series, following earlier sessions in Metro Manila and Palawan. Its central purpose is to give young people with disabilities the opportunity to speak up about the barriers they face, particularly in accessing education, health, information, and protection services. But perhaps the most urgent theme of the gathering was one issue too often left in the shadows: Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC).
A Platform for the Most Silenced Voices
Gammila Gay Avena, Program Manager of NORFIL’s Partnership for Inclusive Development, explained that the foundation’s core mission is to care for children, particularly those who are abandoned, neglected, or living with disabilities, by supporting them within their own families and communities.
“Naniniwala ang NORFIL na ang mga bata ay mas lalakad at mag-dedevelop kung nasa loob sila ng community nila at nasa kanilang mga pamilya,” she shared, emphasizing their commitment to a community-based approach rather than institutional care. (NORFIL believes that children will progress and develop more if they are within their community and with their families.)
According to Avena, the conference was designed not only as a learning space but also as a platform for advocacy.
“Gusto natin na ang mga young persons with disabilities ay ma-involve, ma-empower, kung papaano nila matututunan yung issues na ‘yon at kung papano nila mapoprotektahan ang kanilang mga sarili,” she said. (We want young persons with disabilities to be involved and empowered in learning about those issues and how they can protect themselves.)
More than that, the event also served as a call for accountability: “It’s also a platform to call for the duty bearers or sa government, or sa mga nakakatanda kung paano rin sila mapprotektahan.” (It’s also a platform to call on duty bearers, whether in the government or among elders, on how they can also be protected.)
Dr. Paula Melizza Valera, the resource speaker, emphasized the importance of discussing OSAEC, citing studies by UNICEF and Save the Children that show the Philippines is one of the leading sources of child sexual abuse materials.
“Sobra siyang taboo sa atin. Even teachers are ill-prepared and hesitant to talk about it. But it’s not about encouraging sex or masturbation. It’s about respecting your own body, other people’s boundaries, and basic human dignity,” she explained.
Recognizing that young persons with disabilities are active participants in online spaces, Dr. Valera stressed the need to be equipped with knowledge that allows them to navigate digital and real-world relationships with autonomy and safety.
“When we give them information and when they understand their rights, they become empowered to make decisions for themselves, whether it’s about having friends, relationships, or one day starting a family,” she added.
“They deserve the full experience of being a child, a teenager, kasama doon yung kasiyahan, yung independence, yung pangarap.”
She also acknowledged the cultural challenges, where large age gaps in relationships are sometimes tolerated.
“Discussing OSAEC is never easy. You have to go through real narratives, real trauma and sadly, in the Philippines, it’s often tied to economic survival. Parang supply and demand,” Dr. Valera told BicoldotPH.
Youth Leading Youth
True to its philosophy, the conference placed young people with disabilities at the forefront. Among them were 21-year-old Jan Love Derla from Sorsogon and 19-year-old Kurt Pantoja from Olongapo, who had once been participants themselves.
For Pantoja, the experience of returning as a facilitator was deeply meaningful.
“It’s very overwhelming seeing these kids, especially na kagaya namin na with disabilities, kasi sabi nga namin before kami ni Kuya JL, participants din naman kami, and we’re doing this sa kapwa naming children with disability,” Pantoja shared. (It’s very overwhelming seeing these kids, especially those like us who have disabilities, because as Kuya JL and I used to say, we were once participants too, and now we’re doing this for our fellow children with disabilities.)
He added that even small initiatives like this could spark greater movements: “Alam namin na itong maliit na initiative na ito, it can grow larger, kumbaga it can reach greater heights dun sa sinasabi natin na gustong patunguhan ng mission and vision ng NORFIL.”
Derla, on the other hand, reflected on one of their key takeaways from the event, emphasizing the need for systemic change.
“The importance of why we do this conference is to make a policy para maparating din sa mga legislators natin in the local government and the national government na mas ma-improve pa yung mabigyan sila ng hindi lang spotlight but a stage to perform their ability,” he said.
Both youth leaders expressed a deeper mission behind their participation.
“This is just the beginning of their learnings,” JL said. “At yung pinakagusto naming maiparating sa kanila is kagaya namin, ma-impart din namin sa ibang tao, not just sa children and youth with disability but also sa people na walang kapansanan kasi dapat sila din yung unang makaalam ng kahalagahan ng mga taong part ng society na may PWDs.” (This is just the beginning of their learning, and what we really want to convey to them is that, like us, they should also be able to impart it to others, not just to children and youth with disabilities, but also to people without disabilities, because they should be the first to understand the importance of persons with disabilities as part of society.)
Pantoja also shared how each conference deepens his drive to inspire others, whether they have disabilities or not.
“I’ve been to different conferences na and lagi kong sinasabi tuwing pupunta ako sa mga conference, the main thing that I want to do is to inspire people na kung kaya kong gawin yung mga bagay na ito, how much more yung mga normal people, how much more yung mga able people,” he said. (I’ve been to different conferences, and I always say that whenever I attend, the main thing I want to do is inspire people, that if I can do these things, how much more can ‘normal’ people or able-bodied people do.)
Pantoja often ends his talks by reminding his audience that in life, whether one has a disability or not, success isn’t measured by how far a person has gone, but by how many people they have brought along and how deep a mark they have left behind.
“Kahit gaano kadaming barriers, you ride above that barriers, lagi kang tatayo above that barriers, kasi at the end of the day, wala namang ibang tutulong sayo kundi ang sarili mo lang,” he concluded.
Empowering the Participants
Lucille Villar, Project Officer for Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights at NORFIL, ensured the event was inclusive and child-centered.
“Since the participants are children and youth with disabilities po talaga, we make it a point na talagang included—inclusive yung mga facilities, yung mga proper terminologies in referring to persons with disabilities,” she said.
She added that youth facilitators with disabilities were also consulted about how they wanted the program to be conducted. “We want this program po kasi to really bind the children for the children po talaga,” she said.
When asked about her message to the participants, Villar emphasized empowerment.
“We want them to first feel empowered talaga, to speak about their rights,” she said, particularly on key issues such as education, information, health, and protection. She explained that the second day of the conference really focused on online sexual abuse and exploitation, aiming to help them fully grasp their sexual and reproductive health rights.
On the group dynamics, Villar shared that random grouping was used for participants from the three different organizations—except for deaf participants, who were placed together to accommodate the sign language interpreter.
Participant Voices
For participants like Ellaine Gomez, Rhiana Bilason, and Marinel Paleracio, the experience was not only informative but also transformative.
“Ang conference na ito sobrang fun and memorable since marami kaming natututunan sa kunyari yung mga bagay na hindi namin alam before,” Gomez shared. “Nakaka-build po kami ng connections from other people tapos yun nagiging friends at the same time. Yung guidance po ng mga facilitators and other members po nitong NORFIL is very approachable and nafe-feel namin na may care sila sa amin.” (This conference was really fun and memorable because we learned so many things we didn’t know before. We were also able to build connections with other people who eventually became our friends. The guidance from the facilitators and other NORFIL members was very approachable, and we could really feel that they cared for us.)
Bilason shared that the conference helped boost her confidence. Paleracio, meanwhile, found joy in forming new friendships.
“Ngayon lang din po ako nagkaroon ng friends na baguhan din po. At tiyaka masaya din po sila kausap. Magkaka-ano din talaga kami, same vibes,” she said. (This is also the first time I made friends who are also newcomers. They’re really fun to talk to, and we really share the same vibes.)
Deaf participants, including Edgar and Angelo, also expressed their appreciation for the experience and encouraged others to join future conferences.
Their sentiments were translated by Ma’am Marilou Enguerra, a Special Education Teacher from Gubat North Central School.
“Encourage daw niya sumama kasi marami daw siya natutunan sa activities na ginawa dito,” Ma’am Marilou translated for Edgar. (He said he encourages others to join because he learned a lot from the activities they did here.)
Meanwhile, Angelo said he would encourage both his friends and the mothers of other children with disabilities to let them participate, sharing that he had a good experience at the event.
They collectively expressed their gratitude to NORFIL, saying that because of the organization, they were able to build connections with fellow persons with disabilities, feel a stronger sense of belonging in the community, and gain the confidence to speak up for themselves.
The Path Forward
While conferences like this may not always make headlines, they are critical milestones for children and youth with disabilities — communities whose stories are too often unheard. In a media landscape that tends to overlook these narratives, efforts like NORFIL’s conference stand out, not just for their intent but for the real empowerment they foster among participants.
Beyond the event, there are even more developments aimed at strengthening disability-inclusive programs in the region. NORFIL’s project team shared updates on the construction of the first Hub for Down Syndrome at the Bicol Regional Hospital and Medical Center (BRHMC).
The hub’s construction has already begun, and preparations are now focused on operationalizing the center, finalizing specialists, services, referral systems, and operational manuals. Capacity building and information dissemination efforts are also underway to ensure that once the hub opens, possibly by January next year, the community will be ready to fully utilize it.
As Gamilla Avena put it, “Yung mga ganitong activities hindi mo masyadong makikita. It’s not a usual activity.” But thanks to initiatives like this, and to organizations unafraid to break the barriers, a future where all children and youth, regardless of disability, can lead, dream, and support, is slowly but surely becoming a reality.
