(Note: Starting today, the BusinessMirror will run profiles of the persons who made it as finalists in the Search for the Happiest Pinoy, presented by Cebuana Lhuillier).

IT took years—and tons of experience and courage along the way—before Rex Adivoso Bernardo, 39,  finally embodied what German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche articulated, that every man knows well enough that he is a unique being. Only once on this earth and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is ever be put together a second time.

Stricken with polio, his early years constituted a harsh reality for Bernardo. Life for him was in a shell of introversion and self-pity. Because of his condition, his parents did not send him to school, and they let his aunt tutor him. At about this time, books and comic strips were his constant companions.

His passion for writing landed him, at age 18, in an elite circle, after Liwayway Magazine named him one of the promising new writers of short stories. That accomplishment fueled his hunger to accomplish bigger things in life. He dared himself to prove that disability was no hindrance to achieving his dreams.

At 20, he saw a spark of hope when his parents allowed him to go to school. He took up the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT), and aced it. He knew it was the start of his colorful journey as he slowly rose from the abyss of his past. He went on to study for the next 10 years.

The Trinity University of Asia became Bernardo’s learning ground where he first had his formal school experience. He took up Psychology and later led an organization called Concerned Students with Disability (Codes). He felt the need to mainstream persons with disabilities (PWDs) into the community.

Codes served the interests of people with disabilities by giving financial assistance, leadership
training and guidance and counseling. Through these opportunities, they became empowered and were motivated to show their talent and eventually graduate.

After finishing college, he received numerous scholarships both from local and international institutions to pursue his master’s degree. Equipped with rich experiences and stories, he decided to go back to his hometown in Daet, Camarines Norte, to serve.

His entry to academe as an educator was not an easy one. He was rejected by colleges in the province, merely for his disability. They doubted his capacity to teach.

An unexpected call from the aptly named Mabini Colleges (named after the Sublime Paralytic Apolinario) opened the gates for him in 2002. The school absorbed him as a part-time instructor and provided him necessary accommodations, such as ramp, office space, access to audiovisual materials, laptop, lapel and an accessible comfort room.

Knowledge, Bernardo believes, can be gained beyond the confined walls of the classroom, as borne out by his experience. It is those smiles on his students’ faces and their stories confessing that their lives were transformed because of him, which motivate him to continue teaching.

At present, he is the research, marketing and promotions director and an instructor at Mabini Colleges. He lives a simple life with his supportive wife, Marissa, and their only son, Rexmar in Daet. “We do not go beyond our means. We’re happy and contented with what we have,” he said.

The couple, active members of Couples for Christ (CFC), find their voluntary service in Gawad Kalinga and advocacy work in the PWD sector fulfilling as followers of God. Rex became a consultant for CFC’s support and service to PWDs.

In life, Bernardo is always reminded by what his Psychology professor shared, “When one is faced with destructive criticism, do not mind it; if it is constructive, listen to it.”

In the nomination for the search, Bernardo shared with his nominator a typical day: “One of the things that I usually do in the morning is to look outside the window and to pray for good weather. Why? Because I usually go to work using my motorized wheelchair and I have to travel for almost half an hour to get to the college where I presently work and teach. I have my old, trusty car but I prefer to travel with my motorized wheelchair, as it gives me a sense of freedom and independence in terms of my mobility. That simple freedom I would not exchange for anything. This is one of the things that physically normal people take for granted.”

He never tires of seeing life in a positive way. He firmly believes his purpose is to give back whatever blessings God has given him and share it with “the least, the lost and the lonely.”

Declares Bernardo, “I’d like to be remembered as a person who rose from the grave of a disillusionment, who found his real place in the sun, and who used his God-given talents for the benefit of others.”

Presidential Merit Award recipient and Ten Outstanding Young Men in the Philippines awardee, Bernardo is a perfect example that no disability can keep one’s life captive to a host of tormenting and miserable emotions. He is obviously a man whom God has chosen for His greater honor and glory.