Plus-size designer Boyet Fajardo is still unable to fathom how he had overcome the most difficult test in his life, not as women’s apparel designer, but as human being.
We had lunch last week with the designer who said he is more than glad to be back on track after what he had gone through. First was the controversial video involving him and several employees at Duty Free Philippines on March 13 2009, which he had hurdled by the grace of God, he said, and second when his glaucoma became worse making him blind. For two and a half years he was unable to see, not even a shadow of any figure he could lay his eyes on. He succumbed to depression, getting help as much as possible from clinical psychologists to psychiatrist to enable him to cope with losing his sight.
While he was in that condition, some members of his family tried to take advantage of his helplessness, aggravating the already miserable life he was leading. He even tried to take his own life, but some loyal friends who did not abandon him in his darkest hours took it upon themselves to comfort him until he was able to regain his eyesight, thanks to Dr. Ma. Dominga B. Padilla or just Dra. Minguita, an optometrist Fajardo met through a radio program in which she was the guest. While most doctors Fajardo consulted had not given any ray of hope to regain his vision, Dr. Padilla immediately went to work to restore his sight, and she was able to. Fajardo couldn’t thank the gracious doctor for what she had done to him.
Now, Fajardo has an advocacy for persons with disability (PWDs) working with the Ephpheta Foundation for the blind.
“There are so many people who are blind simply because of poverty. What can I do? My heart breaks for them. They go blind because they can’t afford a simple cataract or glaucoma operation. I helped them by investing in a machine that could help restore sight,” he says.
“I’d already spent millions over the course of the two-and-a-half years I was without sight, but Dra. Mingguita just asked if I had P2,000 when I went to her clinic. She thought I was one of the many indigent patients he treats everyday,” Fajardo chuckled.
“In about 10 minutes, I had gained my sight back in one eye,” he said. “That was the first miracle of God. I could see!”
The second miracle came when he gained sight in his other eye. He was given an eye transplant that was very successful. Full vision could no longer be restored, however, because of other internal damages, but Fajardo is happy to take what he can.
After regaining his sight, he cut cloth, created an outfit, and gave it to Padilla, who has become a true friend. In a talk at a conference abroad, Padilla told her audience, “This dress was made by a patient who was blind. Now, he can see.”
If success went to Fajardo’s head when he was physically able, what he had gone through set his feet back on the ground.
He still design’s plus-size outfits. Recently, he joined “Fashion Forte (Series Three)” at Holiday Inn Galleria, to mark his return on the fashion scene. “No, I am not going back to couture,” he told me. “I am over it. The young ones can try their hands on it. I am happy with what I have and able to share with the less fortunate the little I earn from that, so I will stick with what I do.”
And this Christmas season, Fajardo will again be busy reaching out to the people that he thinks need help, especially those that had lost their vision. He has also learned to forgive those that had wronged him, one way or another, and wish them well. But most of all, Fajardo gives thanks everyone who has stayed on when he was in the dark and now that through God’s divine intervention, he sees the light again.
Globe shows mad love for local movies, TV, and music
Globe is redefining local primetime entertainment and continuing its support for Filipino talent and content by beefing up its video streaming platforms via partnerships forged with iWant and iflix in order to offer a more robust library of local shows, movies, and TV series.
The move aims to satisfy the customer’s cravings for the latest and hottest flicks and shows from local content sources. iWant offers users from the Philippines access to original films and series, current and past Kapamilya shows, movies, restored film classics, music, and live concerts, for free. iflix also boasts an extensive lineup of powerhouse Filipino movies such as I Love You, Hater, Love You To The Stars And Back, Sin Island, The Ghost Bride and Bloody Crayons, alongside iflix Originals Hot Ones and Live Life With Kris, all of which are exclusive to the platform.
Globe mobile customers can enjoy movies and TV shows on iWant and on iflix for as low as P29 via GoWATCH for Globe customers (2GB of data for videos for 1 day) and for as low as P19 via EasyWATCH for TM customers (1GB of data for videos for 1 day).
Globe Studios, the entertainment production company arm of Globe Telecom joins the effort in raising local love of Filipino viewers with the second year of Globe Independent Film Festival, which celebrates the modern Filipino cinema scene by providing local budding filmmakers their long-awaited break.
The festival will hold three main programs in its search for the next Filipino film classic: Streaming Competition, where filmmakers can submit their ready-made films in the following competition categories: Narrative, Experimental, Animation, Documentary, and Music Video; Short Film Lab, where 10 selected filmmakers will get a grant and a mentorship program to complete a short film which will all compete in the festival awards in April 2019 and; Cinema Writing Lab, in which 10 aspiring film journalists/writers will undergo mentorship on writing about the art of film.
To kick things off, Globe Studios will also premiere Elements: The Series. Elements Music Camp is a national singing-songwriting camp with the goal of helping local music talents to reach their full potential, and pave their own paths in growing the local music scene. This year, Elements Music Camp has joined forces with Globe to create a bigger, stronger camp that aims to bring together aspiring and professional musicians with local and international mentors to share, learn, and promote Filipino music. Fans can get first and exclusive dibs on these campers’ inspirational journey by catching all episodes streaming exclusively on iflix.
More recently, Globe Telecom has joined AVIA, the Asia Video Industry Association, to which Globe CEO, Ernest Cu, was recently elected as a board member. This further strengthens the mandate of the association in representing the interests of companies across the broader video industry in Asia.
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