Team ATRIEV
ANTONIO "TONY" D. LLANES JR.
The Innovator
Pastor, pioneer, perpetual President are few of the monikers of Antonio “Tony” Llanes Jr., ATRIEV’s founding President and the concurrent Social Marketing Chief. Tony has a natural knack for anything technical. Though low vision since birth, his blindness did not stop him from learning how to repair audio equipment, refrigerators and even computers.
Tony is an innate pioneer. When no one else in the Philippines has dared to use the computer, he was already experimenting with speech boxes so that the blind can gain access to computer-based information. Tony goes beyond the exploration and experimentation. After his discoveries, he makes it a point to share the information and skill with others.
Passion is also one of the outstanding traits of Tony. Aside from his passion for technology, he is also a lover of music. Beyond the ordinary musical performances, Tony has intricately fused technology and music through the translation of analogue music to digital format. This technological breakthrough in musical digital sequencing is another pioneering course offerings of ATRIEV with Tony, himself, handling the course. This musical translation has opened new opportunities for blind musicians from ordinary sidewalk performers to ring tone and karaoke producers.
Tony is also a born teacher. He captivates his students—whether sightless or sighted—as he tediously explains every topic there is about using computers. He takes on a different persona when he captures center stage. This is the reason why Tony was given the huge responsibility of a Social Marketing Chief. At first, he was reluctant to take the job because his strength is really in teaching. “I don’t speak English very well and I can’t write articles or press releases,” he whines. After much prodding, he accepted the job. The vastness of the duties—from media releases to meeting employers to doing skills demonstrations—overwhelmed him. After a few months, he slowly enjoyed the variety and the challenge of being a social Marketing Chief. Besides, Tony’s natural engaging personality has won the support of many institutions and companies--to at least give blind people an opportunity for on-the-job training.
Because of tony’s unparalleled contribution to the blind community through ATRIEV, he was the sole blind awardee of the “Go Negosyo Most Inspiring PWDs for 2007” given by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship headed by Jose Maria Concepcion III. Tony, together with four other persons with disabilities (PWDs), were presented to no less than Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines at a simple ceremony held in Malacañang.
Almost at his golden age, Tony’s zest for life continues to radiate to his family and his colleagues. Retirement to him means starting a new life in communion with nature. He dreams of having his own farm surrounded by his wife, four beautiful children with his own grandchildren experimenting and harnessing the potentials of bio energy.
Back to topCAROLINA "CAROL" C. CATACUTAN
“Rare”
Crazy, sexy, cool, smart, funny, beautiful, straightforward, determined, resilient, brutally frank… These are just some of the words you can use to describe Carolina Catacutan, ATRIEV’s Training and Employment Director.
Blind since age 11 due to retinitis pigmentosa, Carol is a Cum Laude graduate of Mass Communications from the University of the Philippines. She has been a professional writer since—having published numerous feature articles in various national magazines, two romance novels in Filipino and three television screenplays. To date, Carol is the first and only Filipino blind writer who has written a television screenplay. “It was indeed a challenge for a totally blind person like me to write for television—a very visual medium,” she relates.
Carol had to give up writing when she joined ATRIEV as a full time staff in 1999. Carol, although she claims she doesn’t like it, is also a teacher. “I am a teacher by force, but I am a writer by choice!”, This might be true, but Carol and her students can not deny the fact that she is an effective instructor. Her insertion of humor and wit in her lectures make her classes fun to attend and certainly more enjoyable. Don’t get her wrong though. She won’t let you off easy. She believes in the value of hard work and respects all those who share her beliefs.
As the Training and Employment Director of ATRIEV, Carol’s responsibilities do not end in the classroom. Aside from handling classroom instruction for courses like English Communications and presentation techniques, Carol’s main task is to convince employers to give qualified blind persons equal opportunity at employment. “It’s a balancing act,” she explains, “after getting the support of employers, the more challenging task is to find QUALIFIED blind persons for the job.”
What Carol enjoys most in ATRIEV is her management of ATRIEV’s special events. She led the ATRIEV’s 2006 benefit concert “When You Believe”. She, again, in tandem with Cardz delos Santos, ATRIEV graduate and part-time instructor, led theproduction of the first ATRIEV music CD. Carol, most of all, values the 100% support given by her team in all her projects.
At present, Carol plays the dual role of Training Director and Executive Director. She is in charge of the day-to-day administration of ATRIEV’s affairs while ATRIEV continues to search for a permanent Executive Director.
With the vastness of her duties, Carol is, most importantly, a mother. "But of all my achievements," Carol reflects, "My biggest and most precious trophy is my 3-year old son." Carol is a single mother to a beautiful baby boy. "My son, Cedric Isaac, gives me pride and joy-beyond measure… beyond compare.”
That is Carolina for you. Writer, teacher, mother, and most of all... rare!
Back to topABIGAIL "ABBY" C. DELMO
“Diligence, Epitomized”
Diligence may very well be Abigail c. Delmo’s middle name. Every single day that she shows up for work she brings a special kind of attentiveness. The kind that rubs off on her co-workers. Abby, as she is known to her friends, is not willing to settle for mediocre output when it comes to her duties as ATRIEV’s Budget and Finance Officer.
In 2004, Abby came to ATRIEV as a reluctant applicant. Jobless for more than a year, she has almost given up job-searching. “My husband heard the radio announcement for ATRIEV’s vacancy for the finance officer position,” she recalls. “He kept on urging me to apply for the position but I was thinking that this might be one of those job-hunting nightmares again.” She continues. Her husband’s badgering finally pushed her to submit her requirements and on January 2004, Abigail Delmo was already signing her appointment papers as the Budget and Finance Officer of ATRIEV.
Abby became a crucial member of the staff. She brought to ATRIEV her wide experience in auditing and sales monitoring. Having risen from the ranks in various food chains, Abby has learned the ropes from service crew to marketing assistant to management trainee. Her responsibility in ATRIEV is her first full-time accounting job. "At first, I thought I won't be able to handle the work load but with the proper guidance, I was able to develop my own bookkeeping and accounting system.”
Despite the enormity of her duties, Abby has indeed shown genuine concern for her blind officemates--always willing to pick up fallen objects, always willing to share her food, always ready to offer an arm to guide blind people to the restroom, always ready to lend an ear to listen to the troubles of her blind officemates.
“She is such a pleasure to work with because she gives her 100% and she’s genuinely caring,” commends Tony Llanes, ATRIEV’s totally blind President. Abby has indeed learned to treat her blind officemates as equals. She has jived with the jokes about visual impairment, sensitive to the simple do’s and don’ts when talking to blind persons and strict at implementing office policy regardless of visual impairment.
Abby’s depth of character is rooted in her personal challenges in life. She sent herself through school. Having to joggle her time between her work and her school load, she was able to continue her Computer Engineering course at Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST). Her perseverance and determination did not only get her through college but also through motherhood. “I was having difficulty with my pregnancy yet I still managed to complete my academic requirements and earn my college degree.” She narrates. Abby is married and has an intelligent eight-year old son, John Raphael.
At present, Abby continues her quest for self improvement. She is now taking her master’s degree in Business Administration at the Philippine School of Business Administration (PSBA). She believes that her acquired knowledge and skills will help her in her utmost service to ATRIEV.
Working with blind people in ATRIEV has changed her outlook in life. She draws inspiration from the resilience and happy disposition of her blind colleagues. Depressed and degraded from her previous job, Abby has almost given up on what life has to offer. “When I was interviewed by Sir Tony,” she recalls, “I was so inspired by his jolly disposition--despite his blindness--and made me realize that life is indeed worth living.”
Back to topLOURDES "DESSE" B. BORGONIA
The Transcriptionist, the Training Instructor and the Web Master…
Persevering, Trust worthy, hard working, honest, always willing to learn, polite. These are some of the strengths Lourdes Borgonia possesses.
Desse, as she likes to be called, was born on March 9, 1980 in Cagayan Valley. She is 7th out of the eight children of Marino Borgonia Sr. and Leonora Barcena.
Desse at 28 is now totally blind due to the progressive nature of her cataract but her condition did not stop her from aiming for higher ideals.
In 2000, Desse took her first Computer Training Program in ATRIEV. Then she took a 2-year-course (E-Commerce (in STI Recto, she bested all cited TESDA Scholars in the National Capital Region when she received the Academic Excellence Award in 2001. She continued to reap more awards when she bagged the Web Master award for ATRIEV’s Disabled Friendly Website in 2005.
At present, Des is already the Lead Trainer of ATRIEV handling ATRIEV’s main training program in Basic PC Operations.
She is formerly in charge of ATRIEV’s website and one of the Organization’s main Transcriptionists.
As a teacher, Ma’am Lourdes is one of ATRIEV’s Strictest and toughest Training Instructor; in fact, she cannot be swayed to bend the training standards backwards just to accommodate her former friends who are now her students.
On October 22, 2008, in ATRIEV’s benefit concert entitled “Stand by Me’, you will see a different Lourdes as she sings her favorite song “The Journey” accompanied by Gerard Salonga with the FILharmoniKA Orchestra.
She will be given this once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform on stage at the Meralco Theater.
She said the song describes her journey through life; her frustrations, her hopes, her dreams and her ambitions.
Lourdes’ meticulous eye for detail propelled her to her present stature--- the Transcriptionist, training instructor and the awarded webmaster.
Back to topRENE "WANNIE" B. ORENSE
Multi-faceted
Dull? Boring? Definitely not Rene Orense, ATRIEV’s low vision Project Officer. These words do not, did not and will not exist in Rene’s vocabulary.
Rene’s uniqueness is born out of his uncanny ability to switch between his personas. One moment, he will amaze you with hiss super-human computer techy skills. In the next, he’s laughing his heart out because he just sprayed soda down your shorts!
He first came to ATRIEV in 2004 as a shy, straight-from-high school look. In his interview, he was almost inaudible. On his first day as a trainee in the Medical Transcription course, he changed all the icons in the desktop translating the English words into Filipino. His trainers were instantly irked by this playfulness. But his class performance showed his true form.
After completing the first training program in ATRIEV, Rene was hired as a part-time employee, ranging from technical work to teaching assignments. Because of his functional vision, he was slowly trained to be part of ATRIEV’s presentors particularly in sensitivity workshops.
His biggest break was when he teamed with Tony Llanes, ATRIEV’s President, for the adaptive technology training of the World Bank’s Knowledge for Development Center (KDCs) all over the Philippines. He has the privilege to visit as far north as Tuguegarao to as far south as Cotabato. Rene performed several roles in making the KDCs accessible to all types of disabilities—from technical set up of adaptive equipment to disability awareness workshop presentation.
In 2006, he was hired as ATRIEV’s project Officer. On that same year, he represented ATRIEV in the APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC) Award in Taipei, Taiwan where he was one of the presentors in the “Bridging the Digital Divide” category. He also received, in behalf of ATRIEV, the top award for the best practices in “Bridging the Digital Divide” category in the Philippines.
As a full-fledged ATRIEV staff, he has been assigned to take on various functions. He was the lead instructor for the trainers’ training program of ATRIEV in partnership with the National Computer Center (NCC). Such position he occupied for two years, 2006-2007, when Jonathan Palmero, the former lead trainer migrated to the United States. He also piloted ATRIEV’s computer literacy course exclusively for low vision persons.
At present, Rene performs all functions that are humanly possible to do. Maximizing his residual vision, he has carried out teaching assignments, technical work, software upgrade, photo shoots, and art work. He has represented ATRIEV in advance training programs in programming and open source technology sponsored by the Bluepoint foundation Institute. Because of his advanced technical knowledge and skills, Rene is given the enormous task of taking the role of ATRIEV’s webmaster in 2008 picking up the cudgels from Lourdes Borgonia, ATRIEV’s erstwhile webmaster.
This is the reason why most, if not all, enjoy Rene’s company. But the thing that endears Rene to people is also what makes people underestimate him. Rene’s spontaneous and witty sense of humor often makes people disregard his abilities. But as soon as you get to know him, you instantly realize that there is much wealth in that quiet facade of his.
Back to topMARLYN M. LAZARTE
“The Gatekeeper”
Upon entering ATRIEV’s office, the first smile that will greet you is that of ATRIEV’s Admin Assistant, Marlyn Lazarte. In the office, there is an inside joke referring to Marlyn as the gatekeeper. This is absolutely true. Before you are let in, Marlyn has to determine whether or not your business is important or relevant enough. If she doesn’t think so, there is no way she would let you in. Transactions, dealings, phone calls and even guests have to go through Marlyn’s meticulous standards, whether they like it or not. This makes her an integral part of Team ATRIEV.
Marlyn’s first exposure to the blind was in 2001 when she worked in the gift shop of Carol Catacutan, ATRIEV’s Training and Employment Director. She had no idea about computers and that blind people can use them. She was amazed at how the blind, though they can not see, can accomplish tasks efficiently. This also challenged and inspired her to develop her own computer skills.
When the gift shop ceased operations, she volunteered her services to ATRIEV—from secretarial work to photo shoots to room layout and design. In 2006, she became the Administrative Assistant for ATRIEV.
Now, her computer skills put her in-charge of tasks that require a lot of visual input. Aside from controlling who and what enters the office, she is responsible of what goes out as well, from corporate letters, memos, invitations and everything in between. She acts as the eyes for the blind ATRIEV staff and provides the visual interpretation in behalf of her blind colleagues.
For 2008, Marlyn is tasked with a bigger challenge. Together with Lourdes Borgonia, Marlyn will serve as a co-mediator to Liliane Foundation Philippines, ATRIEV’s partner. While Lourdes provides recommendations for the improvement of the lives of blind children themselves, Marlyn, for her part, will make sure that the parents of these blind children are involved in the crafting of their kids’ future. Though still childless after four years of marriage, Marlyn believes that she can empathize with the parents of blind children. She dreams of having her very own baby soon.
In the future, Marlyn dreams that ATRIEV would have its own building. One that is accessible and large enough to accommodate more visually impaired students. When that day arrives, she will take pride in the fact that she was one of the people who helped make it come true. And who knows, she will still be the one to greet you at the doors.
Back to topJONATHAN "JON" Y. PALMERO
Shifting Gears
From an ATRIEV student to ATRIEV’S first laboratory assistant… from a full time masseur to a full time computer trainer… from ATRIEV’s Training Instructor to ATRIEV’S Project Officer… from the Philippines, migrating to the United States and going back to the Philippines again… are but few of the shifts in Jonathan Palmero’s life.
Born with congenital cataract, Jonathan still has functional vision in his left eye. He is married to Precy, herself totally blind and blessed with a beautiful 12-year-old daughter, Jossel Angelie. For both Jonathan and Precy, massage is their bread and butter until Jonathan learned about ATRIEV.
Jonathan went up and down the ATRIEV career path. After the completion of his basic computer literacy course in year 2000, he served as a volunteer laboratory assistant in 2001. After recommendation by Carol Catacutan to STI-FLITE Executive Director, STI hired Jonathan on a contractual basis to be the laboratory Assistant for Project ATTRAC from October 2001 to December 2002.
In 2002, Jonathan represented ATRIEV in a training program in MS Office application at Ratchasuda College of Mahidol University in Thailand. After the said training, he was given his first teaching load as assistant instructor in July 2002 handling Ms Access and MS PowerPoint subjects. He also participated in two more training programs in Thailand on web accessibility and teaching methodology. Since Jan. 2004, Jonathan has been the lead trainer for ATRIEV’s course on Access Technology in Popular Applications for high school seniors and graduates.
In 2005, Jonathan was given his biggest challenge ever as the main trainer for the National Trainers’ Training Program for rehabilitation workers in partnership with the National Computer Center. For the first time, he will be teaching sighted trainers the techniques he learned in Thailand on how to teach computers to visually impaired children and adults.
Realizing that his potential is not fully harnessed under the training team, he was given the task of the Project Officer in 2005 directly under the supervision of ATRIEV’s Executive Director. In 2006, when he has shown his best ever performance yet, he suddenly resigned to migrate to the United States of America.
Life in the land of milk and honey has been tough for the Palmero family. After one and a half years of life in Virginia USA, the Palmero family decided to go back to the Philippines and certainly back to ATRIEV. ATRIEV has room for Jonathan’s skills and expertise because of the expanding training programs of the organization.
Despite all the shifts in Jonathan’s life, he states that he enjoys teaching the most. He finds fulfillment in the company of his students. Skills transfer is also one of his assets. As he was accepted by ATRIEV with open arms, he was given back his role as the lead trainer in ATRIEV’s training of teachers and instructors. It is hoped that Jonathan’s next shift would be to a higher gear taking up more challenging roles in ATRIEV’s future projects.
Back to topFrancia Cecilia "babes" s. Buendia
“Rampadora”
Francia Cecilia Buendia or Tita Babes, as she is fondly called by her friends, is one of the most energetic volunteer of ATRIEV. Though in her 50’s, her energy can match those young ladies in their 20’s.
Tita Babes enrolled in ATRIEV’s basic computer literacy training in 2004. Admittedly, she had a hard time adjusting to the use of a screen reader program because of her functional eye sight. She also has difficulty adjusting from the manual typewriter to the computer keyboard. In 2007, she took advantage of another computer training program for low vision that uses a screen magnification software in lieu of a screen reader. With the said technology, Tita Babes began to fully understand, appreciate and utilize the potentials of information technology.
Since 2006, Tita Babes has worked as a part time messenger, tutor, caregiver, dishwasher, and all the odd jobs that she can find in ATRIEV. One can never find her idle, wasting her time chatting or daydreaming. She makes it a point that every single minute of her life is productive.
But of all the odd jobs she does, she enjoys messengerial work the most. All she needs is an address and she can find it—be it in Metro Manila or the suburbs. She has proven time and again that despite her low vision, she has a knack for finding places. In fact, she bested other ATRIEV messengers who have 20-20 vision in searching a company, residential house or any other location worth looking for. In one instance where she was sent to a booking office, the manager felt nothing but pity for her realizing that she only had functional residual vision. But Tita Babes proudly explains that despite her limitations, she does her job well. All ATRIEV staff can attest to the ceaseless desire of Tita Babes to work, work and work.
In ATRIEV, everybody knows that in order to make Tita Babes happy, she must be assigned a task, no matter how small or trivial. Tita Babes epitomizes that there is dignity in work.
Back to top