By Anna Valmero
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, PALAWAN— Eighteen-year-old Precious Joy Dizon stood out in a busy crowd during the recent Baragatan street dance festival here even though almost everyone was literally head and shoulders above her.
That's because she has underdeveloped legs and stands no more than three feet – the result of a complication due to her mother drinking an anti-malaria drug, unaware she was pregnant then with Precious Joy.
But the Palawan native never lets her disabilities diminish her striking personality.
She was happily riding a scooter and smiling at friends when I met her during the closing day of the festival. She started moving around in her scooter – a gift from her family – only about a year ago; prior to that she said she used to “walk” around with her hands.
She joined the local “Pop Idol Singing Contest”, belting out “In This Song” by her idol Charice Pempengco. She won first runner-up but was clearly the crowd favorite even before a winner was announced.
“I think it's about time that I overcome my fear of getting rejected because of what people would usually consider a handicap and show to others that I can sing as good as any normal person could,” she says, smiling.
Since childhood, she says she has faced a lot of rejection from neighbors and classmates because of her condition. But she remained positive through it all.
“You should accept what has been given to you and always thank God for each day you see the sun because you are healthy, you are with your family. There are so many reasons to be happy about life. You just need optimism, she tells me.
At present, her goal is to finish her studies – she's taking up Accountancy at the Holy Trinity University in Palawan, where she is currently a freshman.
“I want to use my skills here in Palawan and solve corruption issues by making people accountable,” she says. Problems are part of life and something she says she has learned to accept.
“We can choose to complain or act to resolve something and make things better. Let us always keep a positive outlook because it will help us get through rough times,” she says.
