Fun, food and camaraderie at SDEAS’ Partners’ Lunch and 25th anniversary

Wednesday, August 30, was a big day for the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS) and its partners in opening doors of opportunity for the Deaf community.

It was a day of saying thank you to persons and companies that have helped SDEAS reach its 25th or silver year of serving the Deaf by providing them jobs, access to information and a means of expressing their talents and skills.

SDEAS Dean Nicky Templo-Perez showed up bright and early at Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle to welcome guests.   Deaf and hearing SDEAS staff in corporate attire joined hands to man the registration table, mingle with guests and usher  them in the hall where hosts Leo Sulse (Chair, Center for Academics) and FSL (Filipino Sign Language) faculty Maria Elena Lozada were waiting for them before the program started.

Vice Chancellor for Academics Geronio ‘Onyoy’ Ulayao was all smiles as he welcomed guests with a  short speech.

Short videos about how SDEAS’ community partners make life better for the  Deaf, companies that employ the Deaf, and how the school’s partners provide access to the Deaf were shown.

Elena herself attests to the fact she can now attend Sunday Mass and watch a play in the theater, thanks to the partners’ efforts in helping Deaf people like her gain access to information.

She also joined Silent Steps, a student dance group that  performed that day, to enhance her talent in dance.

Excitement was written all over Elena’s face and gestures as she explained why the plaque SDEAS’ partners and friends were about to receive were designed as such.

It’s shaped like fire to symbolize the passion for service and resource sharing for the development of the Filipino Deaf community.

The plaque is made of glass to show transparency of the partnerships and the sensitivity needed in dealing with issues about Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). It also reinforces the fact that all partnerships hinge on mutual respect and honesty.

The small clock at the upper left hand portion of the plaque, on the other hand, represents SDEAS’ history and the partnerships it has made through the years. It also represents upcoming projects with SDEAS’ partners.

Awards were given to San Isidro Labrador Parish, ABS-CBN Channel (ANC), GMA Network Inc., TV5, Red Turnip Theater and filmmaker Myrna ‘Mirana’ Miranda, for giving the Deaf access to worship, news, theater and film.

Nippon Foundation, PEN-International, the US Embassy in the Philippines and former SDEAS dean Christine B. dela Torre received awards for their continued support of SDEAS students and programs.

About nineteen (19) companies and individuals were were also recognized for working closely with SDEAS in employing Deaf Benildeans, including Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Makati Shangri-La Manila, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Ristorante delle Mitre, Sevilla Candle Factory, Resources for the Blind, Inc., and Rotary Club University District of Manila.

Dean Nicky wrapped up the program with a quote from Archimedes, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” She then likened the School’s partners as the fulcrum on which the Deaf Program is placed. SDEAS would not have made it this far without their help.

Food and laughter overflowing following the program was a testament to how far SDEAS has come after 25 years, and how much further it can go to help more Deaf people find their place and be members of an inclusive society.

Deaf Included in the PAL Retrenchment

 Five Deaf persons who are members of PALEA (Union of PAL) are those included in the retrenchment by Philippine Airlines.  Was able to meet 3 of them. 

     Juan Escalante has been working in the Pastry section for 33 years; Noel Po and Narcisco Alino have been working in the hot kitchen for 30 years.Almost all have been with PAL since finishing their vocational course. Noel was surprised when he received a text saying that he should not anymore go to work since there has been retrenchment. No one from PAL explained the move to them and they just knew of the decision from their colleagues.

 PAL has implemented a massive retrenchment to make way for outsourcing. Juan knows that he is a regular employee of PAL and was caught off guard. All are married with children. They have been loyal and hardworking members of the company and have known PAL as family. They are hopeful for a positive outcome of the strike

AFP scores big win with PWDs | Home Best of the Philippines The Good News

AFP scores big win with PWDs | Home Best of the Philippines The Good News
By Alexis Romero (philstar.com) Updated May 01, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

Carpio (left) and Pelayo in front of the billboard they designed.
| Zoom

MANILA, Philippines - Military officers are used to taking risks on the battlefield, but when they hired deaf-mutes John Ray Carpio, 27, and Audie Pelayo, 24, it was a risk they were not quite used to.

But the 7th Civil Relations Group, the employer of Carpio and Pelayo, are now reaping the rewards, as the military now have skillfully-made posters and tarpaulins while helping its two differently-abled employees design their future.

Pelayo was hired last August while Carpio started working for the military the following month. Both are graduates of Applied Deaf Studies from the College of St. Benilde in Manila.

Lt. Col. Samuel Sagun, chief of the 7th Civil Relations Group, admitted that they were initially cautious about hiring the two PWDs (persons with disabilities).

But Sagun said the risk was worth it as the two are diligent and are performing beyond expectations.

“Their output may not be perfect but they exceeded our expectations. They are very focused,” he said.

Sagun said innovations in mass media have benefited people with disabilities.

“The era of new media has leveled the playing field for PWDs. They can read because everything is projected on the Internet,” he said.

Carpio and Pelayo are paid P6,000 monthly and are given extra allowances for special projects. The two are not yet permanent employees and are getting a salary lower than those with regular positions.

But Sagun said the two enjoy a flexible time schedule and work about four hours daily.

“We are asking the General Headquarters to make them regular employees,” he said.

Carpio and Pelayo took part in key projects including the preparation of materials for the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) 75th anniversary last December.

Carpio, who handles multi-media communications and graphic designs, said he is thankful that the AFP gave him the opportunity to use his skills.

Carpio lost his hearing after his mother suffered from German measles during the first month of her pregnancy. His drive to work for the military is not surprising, as he is very proud of his grandfather who is a war veteran.

“(The soldiers are) very good to me…I look good (to the) people (here),” Carpio told The STAR in a handwritten note.

The two meet deadlines, fix the computers in their office, joke around with co-workers through sign language, and join athletic activities.

“We are empowering them by believing in their capabilities. We give them a chance to prove their worth and to work with other people. Their contributions to our office, to the armed forces and society, are important,” Sagun said.