Awards Ceremony of The Duke of Edinburgh International Award for Young People

Last February 13, 2012, Monday, the Awards Ceremony of The Duke of Edinburgh International Award for Young People was held at 3:00pm at the ARG Theater, 5th floor, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Taft Campus.

The Awards Ceremony and the Awardees

81 awardees from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies, the Girls Scouts of the Philippines, and Ticket to Life will be receiving their Bronze awards. Bea Francisco will be receiving her Gold award and Ana Arce will be receiving her Silver Award along with 8 Bronze awardees from the Deaf community. The Girl Scouts of the Philippines has 52 bronze awardees while Ticket to Life has 19 Bronze awardees. These young people are the first batch from their organizations to receive such distinction.

Miss Mae Paner, aka Juana Change, will keynote the event with National Youth Commission Chairman Leon Flores III as special guest and speaker. Sue Walker, Executive Director, as well as Rob Oliphant, Programme Manager for the International Awards Association Asia Pacific Region, will be present to give their certifications. 

The Award Programme in the Philippines

The Award in the Philippines is slowly gaining ground. Independent Operators include the Girls Scouts of the Philippies, Boy Scouts of the Philippines, Ticket to Life, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies, British School Manila, Luciano Memorial School of Arts and Trade, Green Valley College/One Young Mindanao, and Cor Jesu College-Br. Polycarp Institute for Community Development Foundation, Inc. Very soon, South Hill School, Los Banos will also be joining the award programme.

The Duke of Edinburgh International Award for Young People

The International Award is an exciting self-development programme available to everyone with ages 14 to 25 years old. It equips them with life skills, builds their confidence, and engages them with their communities. Over 7 million young people worldwide have taken up the Award challenge.

The Award is tough but it is about individual challenge, not about reaching specific standards set by someone else. Young people design their own Award Programme, set their own goals, and record their own progress. The only person they compete against is themselves by challenging their own beliefs about what they can achieve.

The Award transforms lives. Some of the Programme’s participants include young offenders, street kids, youth and children in conflict areas, and young people with disabilities. The award can prove a decisive turning point, not only in their lives, but also to people around them.

To know more about the award, visit www.intaward.org.

edited by: Marina Viktoria De Los Reyes

2nd Deaf Youth Adventure Camp 2012

Since the Philippines belongs to the third-world economy, not every place in the country enjoys the awareness of the latest human rights advocacies and the barrier-free accessibility for the Deaf youth community. Although many provinces lag behind the latest access to communication, information technologies, and human rights advocacies, these provinces were reported as staunch supporters and users of the natural sign language of the Philippines — commonly known as the Filipino Sign Language (FSL).

In May 2007, the Philippine Federation of the Deaf Youth Section (PFDYS) was established during the 1st General Assembly which consisted of young Deaf representatives with ages 18-35 from different regions of the country. It is the wing section of the Philippine Federation of the Deaf, the national federation of eighteen Deaf member organizations from different regions of the country and affiliated with the World Federation of the Deaf, a global body recognized by the United Nations.

The Cebu Association of the Deaf (CAD), in partnership with PFDYS, organized the 2^nd Deaf Youth Adventure Camp with its theme “Deaf Youth Leadership and Teambuilding Camp” that  was joined by Deaf Campers from all over the country. The said camp was hosted by the Deaf Association of Iloilo and held at Villa Igang Resort, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras last May 10-13, 2012.

PFDYS gave different activities in the program including: Holy Mass, Introduction of PFDYS and CAD Committee, Red Cross & Safety Tips, Four Colors (Red, Yellow, Blue and Green) and making of flags for our teams, Teambuilding, Bonfire, Cultural Night, Mr. & Ms. Deaf Youth Camper, Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Distribution of Certificates and Awarding Ceremony, and Island Tours.

The PFDYS gave two seminars and invited me as a resource speaker for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).  I work as a Deaf Advocacy Coordinator in De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies; we are partners with PFDYS. It aims to encourage Deaf youth to learn more about UNCRPD and to gain access to the Deaf needs. My lectures have the excerpts of the UNCRPD articles by Raphy Domingo. Moreover, I explained the meaning of the Natural Sign Language as the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) including culture and identity and what does it mean for Deaf persons.

Another seminar was about "Leadership" that was shared by Rowella Tanjusay-Par. She explained to the Deaf participants on "How to become a Leader" and a deeper understanding of what a leader is. We learned a lot and we can share this to our new Deaf youth community.

 

One of our main goals is to encourage more Deaf youth to become future leaders and advocates through our youth camp activities. This is the first step for them to be able to understand what we expect from them. Therefore, we can work together for the betterment of the lives of the next generation.

written by: Mackie Calbay

edited by: Marina Viktoria De Los Reyes

photography by: Christine Zapanta Amomonpon

An Adventurous Journey to Daet

A Report by Ana Kristina Arce

Last May 18-20, 2011, ten award participants and three award leaders from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (DLS-CSB SDEAS) went through their Adventurous Journey to Daet, Camarines Norte.

Led by Ana Arce,together with  Elena Lozada, Yamie Fiestada, Daisy Reyes, Costa Quindipan, Emmary Batain, Almira Tuazon, Kim Malveda, Jonathan San Juan, Mary Grace Arcilla (9 bronze participants and 1 silver participant) and  with 3 award leaders Bea Francisco, Agnes Canayon and Ariscel Lobo traveled for 8 hours to Daet.

             

The team was divided into two groups: one assigned to sessions for the Deaf, the other for the Hearing. They conducted Art, Filipino Sign Language and Acting workshops for 22 Deaf students from Abano Elementary School (17 secondary students, 4 primary students and 1 hearing student with autism).  Abano Elementary School, a laboratory school, has Deaf classes.

The other team conducted Deaf Awareness Orientation, Filipino Sign Language (FSL) workshop and How to Raise and Educate Deaf Children seminar for 22 hearing participants at the Livelihood Center for the Deaf. It was attended by policemen, a businessman, housekeepers and mostly parents. Ana and other team members rolled their sleeves to encourage them to open their minds and see positive opportunities for Deaf students/children.

The group inspired the Hearing to become aware of Deaf people's needs and to believe that Deaf children could be educated even if they can't hear and speak. The parents where a bit overwhelmed. The group also shared that Deaf victims need the police’s help and the police would be able to understand and communicate more clearly with the Deaf through sign language. The group was glad to note changing perceptions of the Hearing towards the Deaf.

Ms. Leizel Visaya and Sr. Lydia Gumba of the Franciscan Sisters of the Incarnate Word Deaf Ministry (FSIW) were our host, together with the help of Mr Rex Bernardo, a multi-awarded person with disability and his wife Marissa. Ms. Emmary is the most generous we have ever met as she shared her contribution to Deaf people. Ana Arce and Ariscel Lobo were asked by Rex to talk about challenging stories over the Daet radio station. Rex shared how he advocates for PWD with his whole heart not only Daet but also the Philippines. 

The group reflected on and learned a lot from the journey. After the last day, we brought back our experiences to Deaf people in Manila to share how people in Daet live a simple life and yet so hospitable.

The Adventurous Journey is part of the 4-section requirement to complete the The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award for Young People. The Award is a non-competitive, exciting self-development programme for all young people worldwide. It equips them with life skills, builds their confidence and engages them with their communities. The participants who completes their 4-section requirement will be received their badges and certificate this October. www.intaward.org