Candy Pangilinan on the importance of including neurodivergent people in the community: 'Nagkakaroon ng openness'

Candy Pangilinan would often trend on social media for her efforts at providing a "normal" life for her 17-year-old neurodivergent son Quentin. Last year, they made news when Quentin started training to become an altar server, and then again when Quentin started school.

In an episode of "Surprise Guest with Pia Archangel," Candy stressed the importance of inclusivity.

"Importante na i-include natin siya sa mundo na nangyayari kahit mayroon silang sinasabing neuro divergent," Candy said.

"We have to include them in what's happening and let them understand what's happening around the world."

As such, she'd often take Quentin out and have him serve in church for instance. "At least the seminarians get to know how to take care and deal with neurodivergent children diba? Nagkakaroon ng openess," she added.

From openness, it would be easy for the community to learn to accept them and then respect them, too.

"So my advocacy is inclusion. I want to promote inclusion, syempre and acceptance within the community. Masimulan ma-accept ng community that these children should be slowly accepted, be given that respect and chance and opportunity to be able to work and be sustainable and dependable."

Neurodivergent is perhaps the better way of saying "people with special needs," Candy clarifies. "It's something in their brains and hormonal na nangyayari sa batang ito. Yung pagkagawa ng utak kumbaga, kung red to red at blue to blue, yung sa kanila, iba-iba ang pagkakagawa ng utak," she said.

According to Candy, neurodivergent children "just want to have friends. They just want to be included, like all of us."

She describes Quentin as a very friendly child and says "wala lang silang boundaries. Lahat kakausapin."

"They're not capable of hurting," she adds. "They're more caring and want to please and just wants to have friends." — LA, GMA News