Slowly but surely, Filipino para athletes finally winning fight for equality

Two decades since her historic Paralympics bronze medal in Sydney 2000, powerlifter Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta is happy to see the plight of Fiipino para athletes change for the better
by randolph b. leongson | Sep 3, 2021

PIONEER. Trail blazer.

Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta was branded as such, and rightfully so, being the first ever Filipino medalist in the Paralympics.

Two decades ago, the Kiangan, Ifugao-born powerlifter proved Filipino para athletes can stand toe-to-toe with the world's best as she came away with the bronze medal in the women's -82.5 kg category at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games.

Her victory put Filipino athletes on the para sports map and served as the highlight of Dumapong-Ancheta's career that has now spanned two decades. And she's still going strong until now.

"When I won, it was a bronze medal that felt like gold. Yung impact niya hindi lang sa akin but sa buong para sports, sa disabled sector dito sa Pilipinas," she said.

adeline dumapong-ancheta

As big as that Paralympic breakthrough was, Dumapong-Ancheta is also the first to admit that two decades on, Filipino athletes with disabilities still have ways to go before gaining their rightful place in the sports landscape.

More than 20 years on, the fight for respect and equality continues for the Filipino para athlete.

Shouldering on

The life of an athlete isn't easy. But if the able-bodied athletes already endure great struggles, what more athletes with disabilities?

"Napakahirap," sighed Dumapong-Ancheta.

Adz, as she is called by peers, got into powerlifting back in 1997 only because of the prodding of male friends. She became good at it, mainly because of her desire to prove that if they can do it, she can, too.

"Yung mga barkada kong lalaki sinasabihan ako na, 'Uy subukan mo, ang laki-laki ng katawan mo eh.' I'm from Ifugao at yung built talaga namin stocky eh. So masarap makipag-kantyawan sa mga lalaki and ang sinasabi ko lang, 'Palakasan tayo,'" she reminisced.

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    That dare fired up Dumapong (yet to be married at that time) who in no time started training regularly at the Philippine Orthopedic Center in Banawe, Quezon City, embarking on a journey that was hard, and often lonely.

    Even the simplest of tasks are difficulties for para athletes like her, no thanks to a public transportation system that to this day is not fully cognizant of the needs of persons with disabilities.

    "The public transportation dito sa atin is hindi accessible. Hindi ka naman makakapag-LRT o MRT. Ang tanging accessible for disabled people is taxi and syempre mahal yun," she said.

    "Minsan nagta-taxi ako pero ang pera ko P120 lang. Kung hanggang saan kaya tapos doon ako bababa at mag-wheelchair na ako papunta doon."

    There were even instances when para athletes competing overseas only had plain white shirts on with the Philippine flag printed on them, a far cry from the outfits provided to their able-bodied counterparts.

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    "Mapapa-sana all ka na lang talaga," she joked. "You cannot help but compare yourself. Nakaka-demoralize din yung ganoong pakiramdam."

    It would've been easy for Dumapong to quit right there. Yet through it all, she pushed on.

    "Imagine, nagte-training kami ng walang allowance. Umulan o umaraw, we do it on our own. Minsan may suporta, pero two to three months lang," she sighed. "Pero when I look back, naisip ko ganoon ko pala kamahal ang sports because I was willing to sacrifice a lot for it."

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    Roadblocks

    Dumapong went to Downes Pavilion in Sydney with meager expectations at hand, but her 110 kg lift in her third attempt was enough to land on the podium, behind gold medalist Emma Brown of Great Britain and Egypt's Hend Abd Elaty, who took silver.

    "Noong nanalo na ako, napansin na kami ng konti," she said, recalling how her historic feat was splashed in the sports pages the next day.

    Right there, Dumapong was aware the accomplishment put her in a position to be the voice of the voiceless and advance the rights of her fellow disabled athletes. At the same time, she knew the odds were stacked against them.

    More times that she cared to remember, Dumapong-Ancheta sought an audience in Congress, fighting for equality for para athletes alongside Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled (PHILSPADA) president Mike Barredo.

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    Yet even fairness is elusive at the highest levels. The national para athletes' allowances from the government were largely off and on. Worse para athletes were competely ignored by the old laws that granted incentives to athletes.

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    "Depende pa rin sa liderato ng Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) kung sino ang nandoon. Minsan six months kami nabibigyan [ng allowance], P5,000 a month. Pero I will always be questioning bakit hindi pantay ang suporta, kung bakit ganito, bakit ganyan," she said.

    "We were reading position papers tapos nakikinig ako sa discussion nila. All I hear is specific ang batas na ang kasama lang is the Southeast Games, the Asian Games, and the Olympics. Hindi kami kasama at doon kami na-technical."

    There was even one instance that Dumapong-Ancheta's fight for the para athletes' welfare was dismissed as a plea for alms by no less than a sports executive who she refused to name.

    "I remember one time, sinigawan ako sa PSC and sinabihan ako na, 'Why are you asking support from here? You should go to DSWD. Doon kayo dapat humingi ng suporta.' To be told that in my face, gusto kong sagutin," she recalled.

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    It was a statement that truly hit close to home, but it only affirmed what she knew: that the disabled athletes' fight for inclusivity was a systemic problem. It became apparent to her that the barriers para athletes need to overcome were no longer physical, but psychological.

    "Kitang-kita mo talaga na hindi lang yung structure yung barrier eh, hindi lang yung buildings. Yung utak, yung pagtingin sa mga atletang may kapansanan, that's a barrier that is harder to break in our society," she said.

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    "Yung accessibility ng mga gusali, madaling gawan ng paraan. Pero pag ang utak ang may lock sa pagtingin na pantay ang atleta, o maski sa taong may kapansanan sa walang kapansanan, medyo mahirap yun.

    "Yung financial, kasama yun sa challenge. Pero mas malaki at mas masakit at mas malalim ang sugat ng mga challenge pagdating sa pagiisip. Ultimo sa ordinaryong tao na makikita na naka-wheelchair sa kalsada, sasabihin ka na, 'Bakit kasi nandito pa at lalabas pa. Hindi na lang sa bahay pumirmi.'"

    Racing to the top

    Through it all, the powerlifter became all the more convinced that she needed to step forward and take up the cause for the Filipino para athlete.

    "We have to be visible kasi kung hindi kami visible, people won't know our plight," she said. "I have to speak out and be visible, lalo na nung nanalo ako, because I have the responsibility to make it a little better para sa mga susunod sa akin."

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    Slowly but surely, the situation has improved for para athletes. The PSC now hands out equal allowances for para athletes and persons without disabilities. Republic Act No. 10699, or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act of 2015, was passed and it included a provision mandating incentives to para athletes who win medals in international competitions.

    Table tennis athlete Josephine Medina was among the first to enjoy such incentives as she was rewarded with P1-million for her bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Sadly, she passed away on Thursday at the age of 51.

    "Malayong malayo na ang narating natin kumpara noon in 2000. In fact, may mga atleta tayo na di na napagdaanan yung napagdaanan ko," Dumapong-Ancheta said.

    "Very encouraging at very supportive si PSC chairman Butch Ramirez dahil sa kanyang liderato, in terms of equipment, unti-unti nabibigyan na lahat. Ang saya lang na after 20 years of fighting for our rights, ngayon pa lang magkakaroon ng proper equipment."

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    Yet Dumapong-Archeta also noted, "Things could still be better."

    She was right. Hurdles remain. For one, the same National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act that was passed into law mandated that para athletes receive only half of what their able-bodied peers receive, drawing criticism for being discriminatory.

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    "Ang batas, medyo discriminatory," she reflected on that 'half-a-medal' valuation for the incentives received by para athletes, which is half of what the able-bodied athletes receive when they achieve glory.

    "Bagamat napo-provide na nila yung mga equipment at allowances, kita mo sa incentives pa lang, 50-percent less pa rin kami."

    There are also times where their allowances face delays, one Dumapong-Ancheta was able to cross-check being part of the Athlete's Council and seeing the differences when the athletes and the para athletes receive their shares.

    "Nakukumpara mo eh, na sa isa ang bilis. Tapos dito sa isa, sasabihan ka na wait lang at di pa napipirmahan. In terms of recognition sa mga atleta, we understand na una talaga yung mga able-bodied athletes. Pero siguro ganoon talaga eh, I guess that's just the way it works."

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    Cruise control

    Nevertheless, Dumapong-Ancheta chooses to be optimistic. Hurdles remain, but slowly the situation is changing for the better.

    "It took 20 years bago natin na-achieve yung ganitong klaseng support, so I believe na uusad din tayo hanggang sa maging ideal na. It will never be perfect, pero at least dumating tayo sa acceptable na kundisyon at sitwasyon," she said.

    There are encouraging signs everywhere.

    She pointed out to the growth of the Philippine Paralympic team over the years, with the POC now having about 150 para athletes in its roster all guided by coaches and trainers which led to the 10-gold, eight-silver,11-bronze finish in the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta.

    After missing out in Atlanta in 1996, the Philippines has also been active in sending representatives to the Paralympic Games. That the country was represented in the Tokyo Para Games in the middle of a pandemic is a testament to its growth, she added.

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    The para athletes' performances has also given confidence to their fellow persons with disabilities who look at them as inspiration and are now willing to give sports a try.

    "I've received several messages reaching out na gusto nila maging atleta," shared Dumapong-Ancheta. "Dati, wala silang direct na contact, pero ngayon pwede na. I'm looking forward na mas marami ang lumahok sa pampalakasan para sa may kapansanan."

    Dumapong-Ancheta also pointed to the help of local government units (LGUs) who have shown interest in giving hope to the PWDs. And of course, the support from the private sector remains pivotal, just like the blueprint provided by weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz' path to the country's first-ever Olympic gold medal.

    "Importante yun sa mga grassroots na hanapin nila sa barangay nila yung mga may kapansanan dahil baka doon manggaling ang mag-gold medal sa Paralympics," she said.

    "Makikita din naman natin mula sa pagkapanalo ni Ms. Hidilyn ng gold na talagang pag may tamang suporta, kung bibigyan ng focus, talagang kaya natin," she added.

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    A lot has changed since Dumapong-Ancheta's medal win in Sydney, and she knows things are bound to get even better in the para athletes' fight for inclusivity and equality.

    Fingers crossed.

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      "Iba talaga yung pagtingin noon sa ngayon and I'm happy to be part of the journey sa para sports. Malaki at maganda na yung pagbabago at natutuwa ako pag nakikita ko yung para athletes ngayon na hindi na dumaan sa pinagdaanan ko," she said.

      "Of course, I'd like to stay positive na pagkatapos nitong Tokyo Paralympics, meron o wala man sila na mauwing medalya, the fact na nakalahok tayo in this time of pandemic is malaking karangalan na," she continued.

      "Gusto kong maniwala na magtutuloy-tuloy yung positibong development at yung patas na pagsuporta sa lahat ng Pilipinong atleta. Mas maraming tao ang mari-reach, mas marami ang susuporta at magbabantay para makuha kung ano ang dapat na mapunta para sa mga atletang may kapansanan."

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      "Naniniwala ako na things can only get better from here."

      Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

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