Thursday, February 24, 2011

A Deaf Woman's Quest for Equality and Dignity for Humankind

By JF SARSOZA JR

The Deaf community and the hearing world must work together for greater understanding and appreciation of the uniqueness of the Deaf and be one in promoting equality and dignity for all. Anaditha M. Angcay is passionate and frank about her identity as a Deaf person.


In October last year, Anaditha M. Angcay finished her Bachelor in Applied Deaf Studies specializing in Business Entrepreneurship, honorable mention, from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School and Deaf Education and Applied Studies (DLS-CSB SDEAS). She now works as data collector and masterfile analyst in a company in Manila. "I am very happy that I have a good job," she says, "so I can support my family."

She possesses a ready and radiant smile and a robust view of life. She is no stranger to hard work, having had to take care for herself, along with her other siblings, at an early age. And although she would rather choose to talk about what could be than what had been, Health & Home believes that her being open and frank about her personal life has given her a clearer perspective of both the Deaf community and the hearing world.


In a speech she gave sometime ago, she says, 'Let me start by telling you that my mother was a GRO. I am her fifth child but her only child to my Japanese father. I was born pure Deaf in Manila, Philippines." Her father, she adds, provided well for them and although they had a house, a car and had access to material things, "I was very quiet because nobody in my family knew how to communicate in sign language."


During our interview, Anaditha, speaking through an interpreter, Maria Veronica Templo-Perez, dean of DLS-CSB SDEAS, recounts that in grade school she wasn't aware of the presence of the Deaf community. "I hated myself for being Deaf. It was a very lonely experience for me. In high school, I met a Deaf person who tole me, 'You're Deaf, you should be able to identify yourself with the Deaf community.' I began to see myself as equal with other Deaf children, especially that our school gave equal opportunities to its students."



The same equal opportunities, she says, had been granted her by DLS-CSB SDEAS which gave her a scholarship' after she graduated with honors in high school. "In DLS-CSB, I learned about my identity as a Deaf person. Deaf with a big "D" means I am proud of my language and culture as a person. I am not ashamed of who I am and the language which we use-the Filipino Sign Language or FSL."

Anaditha's life of ease and comfort took a bad turn after her father was diagnosed with cancer and had to go back to Japan for treatment, and a few years few, she had to bear the sadness of being abandoned by her mother. She and her siblings had to fend for themselves, even taking care of her grandmother who had bone cancer. Looking back on this experience, Anaditha says, "We have to take on the responsibility of looking after each other and have survived because we embrace our situation with humility and simplicity."



Doing encoding jobs for her teachers, cleaning houses, or fixing files just to have extra money for allowance, Anaditha is grateful to her teachers at DLS-CSB for giving her the opportunity to be of help to other Deaf people by providing Deaf leadership, different activities, seminars and workshops. And she is thankful to God "that He has given me faith to become a strong Deaf woman." Otherwise, she confesses, "I would never have learned to be self-confident."
Her self-confidence has enabled her to show to other Deaf people and those in the hearing world the need to "unite ourselves in promoting equality and dignity for all people."


At the DLS-CSB SDEAS, Anaditha had taken an active part in helping the Deaf association win "the most outstanding student organization" in March 2010.2 With the school helping promote the natural Filipino Sign Language (FSL), she and her fellow alumni and the students at SDEAS want the Department of Education to recognize the said sign language, citing the Bangla Sign Language for having been recognized by the Bangladesh government as early as 2000.


Also, she holds fond memories of her experience in the Summer of Service Program3 in Iligan and Ozamis cities. That experience, she notes, was "a sacrifice and an offering. It was giving and practicing patience and a way for me to show love to other Deaf children." And in propagating the gospel of identify, especially to the hearing world, she says the initial feeling "is awe, then there's some curiosity. But for the past 10 years many things have happened, and there's now a feeling of acceptance of the Deaf. But there's much to be desired. They still forget the services of an interpreter."

And how does she make of this? "The Deaf are very visual. They learn how to adapt fast, and they manage to train themselves to be observant. They can see the emotion of the hearing person. They're very frank, especially if they're comfortable with the person."

Hence, she says, the profession of interpreting should be given due recognition because it "requires years of training and sets of skills. The stereotype thinking is that all Deaf persons are alike. They're unique, each has his or her own personality."


Opportunities, she observes, come very rarely, that's why she takes to heart the words of her father, "Don't wait for opportunity," and the advice of her grandmother, "You become successful in life by always trying." And she passes them on to her friends. "I was sharing something similar to my friend one time," she confides, "and she told me she always failed in job interviews, so I told her not to wait for opportunity. 'Go find that opportunity and keep trying.' She's very successful now because she followed that advice."





As a graduate, she says, she's very inspired because she's a better Deaf person now. And she adds, "I am grateful to God for sending Saint Benidle who opened accessibility for the Deaf to study at CSB, and for SDEAS for providing advocacy for other people to become strong in their relationship. I wish our hearing and Deaf communities will become one world for the dignity of humankind in the near future."
____________________________________

1 Besides her scholarship, she also received a sponsorship from members of the Rotary Club of Pasay Silangan.
2 Anaditha, Benildean Deaf Association (BDA) 2009-2010 president, headed several projects including a scholarship training workshop for other Deaf students. BDA aims to empower the Deaf to be leader advocates.
3 Summer of Service, a two-week volunteering program under the College's Center for Action Office, offers DLS-CSB student an opportunity to do community service outside of Metro Manila, especially for the Deaf community.

JF Sarasoza Jr is editor of Health & Home.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Featured in Health and Home Magazine: Anaditha Angcay

Health and Home: The National Journal for Better Living, January-February Issue 2011 Vol 53 * No. 1, courtesy of the Health and Home staff lead by Editor Jose F. Sarsoza Jr.
With Christopher de Leon on the cover.


Editorial - Ideals by JF Sarsoza Jr., introducing Health and Home's new section "Advocacy" which "aims to give credit to some of our countrymen who make a difference by pursuing a cause in a quiet but vigorous fashion, helping others lead better and meaningful lives."





"... one such person is Ma. Anaditha M. Angcay, who finished her Bachelor in Applied Deaf Studies specializing in Business Entrepreneurship, honorable mention, from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in October last year. Read more about her on page 34 under the Advocacy section."



Advocacy: A Deaf Woman's Quest for Equality and Dignity for Humankind By JF Sarsoza JR

Sunday, February 20, 2011

1st PSFD Table Tennis Games










Kristela Sta. Juana won the Gold Medal at the 1st PSFD Table Tennis Games.
Kristela is a 4th year student of DLS-CSB

Lovella Catalan and Kristela


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Video-comments from the lecture on Deaf+Access=Success

Lecture of Atty Chato Gallo (posted with permission)

Link: Access to Justice: Make the Right Real

Introduction :









DEAF + ACCESS = SUCCESS

A seminar on Deaf Human Rights dubbed as "Deaf + Access=Success" was held last Feb 16, 2011 at the DLS-CSB Augusto-Rosario Gonzales Theater. Atty. Chato Olivas-Gallo talked about Rights and Laws related to People with Disabilities.

Atty. Gallo is the Vice Dean of the College of law of the De La Salle University, and a huge advocate of women, children and Deaf rights.

The activity was made possible through the DL-CSB Department of Student Life Student Involvement Office anad the Deaf Benildean Association. Proceeds of the tickets will help SEADC and FDWHHC.
Atty Chato Gallo. Sir Auch and Ms Febe served as interpreters.

Kevin Anonuevo and Lynn Cappal hosted the event.
The BDA presenting their Certificate of Appreciation to Atty. Gallo. In the picture are Ms Liw Caldito of SEADC, Weng Rivera of FDWHHC, Leo Sulse of DLS-CSB, Rodolfo Ilagan, BDA President with the hosts.








Monday, February 14, 2011

Deaf + Access = Success

An-yŏng-ha-se-yo: SDEAS in Korea

 From February 13 to 18, 2011, four (4) Deaf students and three (3) faculty of DLS-CSB SDEAS are invited to a cultural exchange  project with Ilsan Vocational Competency Development Center (IVCDC). 
IVCDC is under the Korea Employment Promotion Agency for the Disabled (KEPAD) a private organization that offers help to the welfare of PWD’s in South Korea.
Here are pictures that they sent on their Day 1 activities :    
February 14- Welcome and Happy Valentines :) KEAD IVCDC welcoming party with SDEAS group. They gave us flowers and candies. The flowers were made of soap











February 14-Flowers from soap



SDEAS group with first Deaf Korean priest. 
The group attended a Deaf Mass presided by the Deaf Korean priest.

This project is supported by the Nippon Foundation through PEN-International and DLS-CSB VCA office through the SDEAS Dean. 
The purpose of this year’s cultural exchange is to provide an opportunity for the students and faculty to deepen their knowledge of other cultures that will help them develop their potentials, understanding and will contribute to improving their lives for the future.
Pen-International hopes that through such cultural exchanges the Deaf learn from each other and bring back what they have learned to share with their respective schools. In the past, SDEAS had exchanges with Japanese and Korean Deaf students. 

Sunday, February 13, 2011

May Pabaon Ka Ba Diyan?: A Talk on Corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines

Last February 11, 2011, the Center for Social Action (CSA) in partnership with the Lasallian Justice and Peace Commission (LJPC), Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change, DLS-CSB Student Council and DLS-CSB NSTP organized “May Pabaon Ka Ba Diyan?: A Talk on Corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The activity aims to provide a venue to deepen understanding on the issue of corruption in the military and heighten active citizenship against corruption and good governance.


(L-R) Speakers were Cong. Teddy Casino, Former military budget officer and whistle-blower George Rabusa, Capt. Joenel Pogoy. The talk was hosted by Bibeth Orteza.


Leo Cabasag was interpreter for Deaf Students.

Deaf Benildeans are seriously listening to the issues.


Deaf Benildeas participated in the prayer to
stop corruption in the Philippines.






Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Mandaluyong Celebration with PWD

As Mandaluyong celebrates 66th year of freedom from the Japanese Imperial Forces and the 17th year of being declared a city; Jay Sunico and Lovella Catalan, both officers of the Philippine Sports Federation for the Deaf visited Mayor Abalos of Mandaluyong.

Lovella and Jay show the medals their earned 4th Asia Pacific Deaf Championship
to Mayor Abalos.



They presented the mayor with a Thank you plaque as he supported the
Deaf Bowling Championship last November 30 to December 7, 2010




Mandaluyong had a parade during the celebration of their cityhood anniversary.



Soldiers participated in the parade.


Love with other Person with Disabilities also took part in the parade.