A6a. He Showed Us How God Works Wonders

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HE SHOWED US HOW GOD WORKS WONDERSMargaux Ortiz

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Metro Section April 8, 2004, page A15

Chekel

Exequiel Panganiban broke his daily routine and explored the world last February. The

move caught his family by surprise.

Exequiel, 22, fondly called Chekel by his family, was born with high-functioning autism.

Although he could take care of himself most of the time, he still needed his parents and siblings

to look after him,

“Chekel has his own world.” He always has his Walkman on because he loves listening

to music all the time,” Chekel’ s mother. Gloria, told the Inquirer in an interview at their house in

Paranaque City.

“But his type of autism is not that serious. We could still communicate with him verbally

or in writing, and he is capable of doing things for himself like eat and take a bath,” Gloria

added.

Chekel was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old. The disease made him

conform to structures and daily routines. He did the same thing everyday- wake up, eat and go

to his father’s office in Makati in the afternoon.

“But he grew up normally and even finished second year high school in a special

institution,” Gloria said, stressing that Chekel was just as lovable as their two younger children.

Unusual

Every once in a while, Chekel would do something unpredictable, like go to the village

basketball court or to a nearby mall, or even visit his beloved grandmother in Las Piñas on foot.

“Every time he did something unusual, we always managed to bring him back to the

house. Chekel never spent a night away from us, Gloria said.

Nothing, however, prepared the Panganiban family for what happened last February 5.

The family driver had brought Chekel to his dad’s office and he sat there with his water

jug and lunchbox, watching people pass by as usual.

Around 3 p.m., the building security guard told Diego that he saw Chekel walk toward

Buendia, Pasong Tamo.



Alarmed

“We were all alarmed because it was the first time Chekel took off on his own from my

office, ” Diego said.

He immediately went to shops frequented by his son but he was not seen there that

day. Diego and Gloria, aided by relatives and friends, started looking for Chekel in Makati, Pasay

and asked people living along South Superhighway if they had seen Chekel.

Some said they saw Chekel based on the description they gave, but could not say where

he could have gone.

The couple even formed brigades and distributed leaflets to different establishments in

search for Chekel but he still failed to return to their house for the next three days.

Prayers

I continuously prayed and pleaded to the Lord, Gloria said, remembering how she asked God to

take care of Chekel when he was hospitalized last November for dengue fever and how He

granted her request.

It really broke my heart but I felt so helpless, so weak and I felt I only have the Lord to

trust in my lowliest time,” Gloria added.

Familiar sound

At 3:15 a.m. on February 8, the Panganiban family was roused from sleep by a loud but

familiar sound.

“We broke down in tears, hugging and kissing our son when Chekel came back home all

by himself,” Gloria recounted, saying that their eldest son just gave them an amused smile.

Gloria said that Chekel was quiet the next morning, but began telling his story later in

the day.

Chekel said he rode public vehicles like jeepneys and buses —which he never did in the

past- to get to the northern part of Metro manila to as far as Hagonoy, Bulacan.

He told his parents that he survived by drinking water from a hose in a Caltex gas

station and eating rice at a canteen and spaghetti given by a generous man.

Chekel also recounted how he lost his Walkman and shoes while he was sleeping on the

grass.



Watching over him

“We believe that someone was watching over him because he had been awake when his

Walkman and shoes got stolen, Chekel would have fought back and hurt himself,” Gloria said.

Chekel said he was later prodded to go home by a man in white who said that his mama

was very worried and looking for him.

“Sometimes, we think he only went as far as Monumento because there are some areas

there which fit his description of the places he had been to,” Gloria said.

But Chekel would then tell stories of how he had been to a nipa hut, which Gloria said

does not exist in Monumento.

Divine Intervention

We could only surmise where he had really been to. While we’re searching the sourthern

part of metro Manila, Chekel had really gone to the north,” Gloria said.

She added that they believe divine intervention had played a great part in bringing their

son home.

“Many people prayed for us. Chekel would always be a living witness of how God works

wonders, “ Gloria said with a sweet smile.

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A6a. He Showed Us How God Works Wonders