Sarah Mae G.

Sicalbo July 3, 2019

STEM 12-A

FERNANDO KABIGTING

After a stroke paralyzed his right

hand and blinded his left eye in 1999,
Fernando had to learn how to paint
with his left hand. He also moved from
his use of oils and charcoal, to using
watercolor. Despite his limited mobility,
his artistic career continued to flourish.
Since his stroke, he has had solo
exhibitions at the United Nations in
New York City, the Ayala Museum in
Makati, and at the Italia Gallery in Bacolod.

What do you think made their achievements unique?

 Fernando Kabigting achievements became unique because of his determination

and passion towards arts. Disability has never become an excuse for him to stop
painting. He has been painting since the Sixties and became even more prolific
after he suffered a stroke in 1999 that paralyzed half his body and partially
impaired his sight and right hand.

What do their accomplishments say about a person’s “disability”, and what have
you learned from him/her?

 For me, their accomplishments symbolize the obstacles that they have overcome
or worked as a person with disability. It is the evidence of their hard work from
illness to wellness, from nothing to soaring to greater heights. I have learned the
true meaning of perseverance from Fernando Kabigting. He proved to us that
despite the difficulties, failures or our condition that we have, if we really want
something and if we are really passionate about a thing we can work it out and
achieve it.