The warmth of the sun along Commonwealth Avenue is undeniable. Amidst the huge buses and smoky jeepneys, a man slowly crosses, dragging his lifeless right leg. He is wearing a faded t-shirt, a dirty hat, and holding a can of biscuits with a few coins. He is Mang Berting, the “lame” who always sits in front of a popular fast food chain.

Mang Berting is well-known in that area. Many feel sorry for him, many also whisper that his disability might just be a modus operandi. But he accepts every peso that falls into his can with a deep bow and a whispered gratitude.

“It’s hot, Grandpa Berting. Here it is, water,” a young sampaguita vendor named Totoy called out.

“Thank you, son. May you be blessed,” Berting replied as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

One afternoon, while everyone was busy rushing home, a luxury car suddenly stopped in front of the parking lot. A lady got out carrying many bags of groceries. On the other side, a speeding motorcycle lost its brakes and plunged into the gutter, directly hitting the grandmother who was about to cross the pedestrian lane.

Everyone was stunned. The grandmother was thrown and lost consciousness, while the motorcycle driver seemed to be trying to escape.

In the blink of an eye, everyone gasped. Mang Berting—the man who had barely been able to walk for five years—suddenly stood up straight. With a speed that no one had imagined, he ran towards the grandmother. He was not lame. His legs were strong and his stance was firm.

He picked up the grandmother like a sack of rice and carried her to the side of the road so that she would not be run over by oncoming vehicles. Then, he blocked the fleeing motorist by pulling on his carrier, causing the driver to stumble again until traffic enforcers arrived.

“Hala! Mang Berting can walk!” shouted a vendor.

“He’s a fraud! He’s just pretending!” said a driver.

The police and the ambulance arrived. While the old man was being administered first aid, the authorities surrounded Berting.

“Come with me to the precinct. Many people here have complained that you are deceiving the public by pretending to be lame to ask for money,” said SPO2 Ramos.

Berting did not resist. He remained silent, his eyes filled with sadness instead of fear. Upon reaching the precinct, he was asked for his identification. That’s when the truth came out.

“Alberto Magtibay. Former member of the government’s Search and Rescue Team,” the policeman read from his old ID. “Why are you pretending to be a beggar? Why are you deceiving people?”

Berting sighed. “I don’t steal their money. They give it to me willingly. And I don’t use it for myself.”

Page: SAY – Story Around You | Original Story

With the help of social workers, a small, hidden house was located behind a cemetery in Quezon City. When the police and some reporters arrived, they were confronted with an unexpected sight.

Inside the neat and clean shack, there were ten children—orphans whom Berting had taken completely off the streets over the past five years. The money he earned from “pretending” all went to the education, food, and medicine of these children.

“Father Berting!” the children ran in unison when they saw him with the police.

Berting explained that after being discharged from the service due to a failed operation, he had difficulty finding a job. When he saw homeless children being abused on the streets, he decided to take on the responsibility. He knew that a disabled person earns more in the eyes of people because of pity, so he chose to swallow his dignity and pretend to be lame just to ensure that the children had money to pay for their tuition.

“I don’t want them to grow up to be thieves or addicted to rugby. If I have to look pathetic so that they can have a future, I will,” Berting tearfully declared in front of the camera.

The public’s anger was replaced by deep admiration and repentance. The people who had previously cursed him for “cheating” were the ones who took the lead in organizing donations for his small orphanage. The lady grocery owner who witnessed his heroism offered to pay for the college tuition of all the children under his care.

Berting no longer needs to pretend to be lame. In the last part of the news, he is seen standing straight, wearing a new t-shirt, while helping children with their homework. He has proven that the real disability is not a leg that cannot move, but a heart that does not know how to look at the needs of others.