To develop young leaders with disabilities as rights advocates,  NCDA Director Carmen Zubiaga’s instructions,  Abilympics Champs Virgie Rabino and Raphael Torralba  found their hands full, as Resource Speakers during the 34^th NDPR Week.  On two separate occasions, both showed their mettles as budding leaders in their own rights.

Ms. Virgie, now part of the Council’s Information, Education and communications Division, spoke to Bulakenos with disabilities and support groups on their rights and privileges, according to the UN-CRPD and some local enabling laws last July 19, 2012 in Meycauayan, Bulacan.  As Young Voices Philippines’ past National Coordinator and the Philippine Team’s spokesperson at the 2011 International Abilympics in Korea, Virgie’s grasp of disability issues and corresponding stopgaps, helped the crowd appreciate what the government through NCDA, is doing for citizens with disabilities.

Raph Torralba in turn, shared practical “Tips in Communicating with Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing”, hosted by the Department of Tourism for hotel/restaurant managers and staff last July 21, 2012.  Like Virgie, his achievements as a budding photo journalist with some news already published and cited internationally, and as a national photography champ involved in the Visual Shot Club’s “Photography with a Difference” project, have made some marks on the disability scene.

Watch out for these two emerging leaders, as NCDA ushers in the development, and the ‘coming out’ of more..