“The Launch of Project Rizal”

In commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary Dr. Jose P. Rizal on June 19, 2011, and as part of the celebrations of 100 years of Lasallian Presence in the Philippines and 20 Years of Lasallian Deaf Education, we have launched “Project Rizal” yesterday, June 21 at CSB School of Design and Arts (SDA) Cinema. 

The launching of Project Rizal featured “Mi Ultimo Adiós” (My Last Farewell / Huling Pahimakas) by Dr. Jose P. Rizal. It is the first-ever interpretation of his most famous poem in Filipino Sign Language (FSL), and the first in the series of five poems to be interpreted in FSL by different Deaf actors.  

 

The film starring Aldrin Gabriel was produced and directed by independent advocacy filmmaker Mirana Medina in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS). She was a former FSL student under the Filipino Sign Language Learning Program of SDEAS. Mirana is also the writer and director for Silent Odyssey, a documentary about Sign Language in the Philippines. 

The purpose of the project is pririmarily to translate for the Deaf Filipino community, considered a cultural-linguistic minority group in the country, Dr. Jose Rizal’s enduring and most popular poems in Filipino Sign Language. It shall definitely help in the perpetuation of his great thoughts, moods and feelings among Deaf Filipino youth. It is also the project’s aim to serve the needs of the Deaf for access to communication. 

The film, nearly 15 mins long is subtitled in English for the hearing audience. It is our belief that people’s exposure to sign language will help them in appreciating Deaf signs, and eventually, Deaf’s language and culture. Such awareness and familiarization hopefully will aid them in welcoming the Deaf as an integral part of our society.

The Programme started with a Prayer and then the National Anthem, both with performances by the Silent Steps under the Center for Deaf Esteem and Formation of SDEAS,

 

  Welcome Remarks was delivered by Ms. Mela Lazatin, DLS-CSB Vice Chancellor for Lassallian Mission and Student Life. 

 

Mirana Medina  thanked all those who came to attend the launching of the project, then called and introduced the members of her production team: Aldrin Gabriel, Deaf actor; Myra Medrana, Deaf choreographer; Cathy Genovia, AD/PM; the two cameramen, Dennis Balan (Deaf) and Rem Vocalan; Jojo Sia, Production Asst.,

Dr. Marie Therese Bustos, FSL Consultant; Febe Sevilla, interpreter and the members of the Silent Steps. She thanked them all for making the film possible. Dr. Manolet Gonzales and Atty. Ramoncita Reyes, descendants of Saturnina Rizal, eldest sister of Dr. Jose Rizal were also acknowledged as well as the presence of Bible Institute of the Deaf President, Sister Elena Castillo.

 

Before the film ULTIMO ADIOS was finally presented, portion of the coverage while FSL Consultant Raphy Domingo and Myra Medrana were undergoing a “Session with Vim Nadera” was shown so that the audience would know the process before the film was actually made. Prof. Nadera, a poet-writer, was the former director of UP Creative Wrting Center, now LIKHAAN: Institute of Creative Writing. He explained well and beautifully the meaning behind each line from the stanzas of Rizal’s poem after which Raphy finally came up with a poetic, not literal translation or interpretation of the stanza. Only then was the film “Mi Ultimo Adios” with closed caption was shown. The fully occupied cinema hall was quiet throughout the film showing. All were attentively watching the superb performance of Aldrin Gabriel. 

After that, Dr. Manolet Gonzalez, 4^th great grandson of Ms. Saturnina Rizal, was called in to deliver an inspirational message. 

Aldrin Gabriel shared his experience while practicing the interpretation of the poem. He said he felt the spirit of Rizal in him. But he said he didn’t really feel afraid but encouraged to do his best instead. 

 

Michael Lopez, a student from SDEAS-CSB then shared his reaction on the film, on how he get to understand the message of Ultimo Adiós better, and Rizal’s love for country. The host summarized and talked about the Dr. Jose Rizal’s values, works and how they can serve as subject of emulation by the Filipino Deaf Youth Community. 

We would like to thank everyone for joining us: the administrators, faculty, staff and students of DLS-CSB, representatives from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, our invited guests from Deaf and Hearing community, school, press, the filmmaker and producers of Project Rizal. 

Most especially, we would like to thank the descendents of Ms. Saturnina Rizal, sister of Dr. Jose Rizal. We are privileged to have you with us.

In honor of Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s Sesquicentennial Birth Anniversary and La Sallian Deaf Education, the new generation of Deaf Filipino youth must continue to remember Dr. Rizal’s life to serve as our model, and that we ought to work with honor, and like him, to live in a meaningful way.

Article by: Mark Joseph D. Calbay, Deaf Advocacy Program Coordinator,

Center for Partnership and Development, School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde

With reports by Mirana Medina, Independent Advocacy Filmmaker

The Newly BDA Officials 2011

STANDING UP LEFT TO RIGHT : Roejen Fernandez (board member)

Melvin Jayson Sibay (exterial vice-president) m a.. Jesusa Charisma Nofies (assistant secretary), Paul Bryan Gaveria (head Deaf Literary Program), Mark Gil Punzal (Board member)

STANDING DOWN FROM LEFT TO RIGHT : Jon Reuel Santos (board member), Mae Zhiela Antenor (internal vice-president), Justine Camille Javier ( President), Gladys Claudy Jane Bisnar (head, Filipno sign Languge Program), Michael Lopez (Secretary). Rastaman Landero (borad member) and Marie Mones (treasurer) were among of the BDA member that unluckily had not taken the picture.

The Newly BDA Officials 2011

By: Ma. Jesusa Charisma N. Nofies

The Benildean Deaf Association (BDA) officers  and the two student council Deaf Representatives for SDEAS were elected for the school year 2011-2012. 

In accordance with Article of the Constitution and By-laws, the Benildean Deaf Association was established to empower our fellow Deaf Benildeans to become active and productive members in the Benildean community. Upholding the rights for the full equality and access to information, campus facilities and support services of the Deaf in the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies. The BDA's  mission and goals is to train members to become active and empowered leaders; support  CSB and SDEAS activities  and provide unity among the Deaf Benildean community, to promote rights,  order and social responsibility.   Ana Kristina Arce    proposed and original idea of the BDA. 

The Executive Board of the Benildean Deaf Association is lead by the following:

President: Justine Camille Javier

Vice-President for Internal Affairs: Mae Zhiela Antenor

Vice-President for External Affairs: Melvin Jayson Sibay

Secretary: Michael Lopez

Assistant Secretary: Ma. Jesusa Charisma Nofies

Treasurer: Marie Mones

Board Members: Roejen Fernandez

                            Mark Gil Punzal

                            Rasta Landero

                           Jon Reuel Santos

Head Deaf Literary Program: Paul Bryan Gaveria

Head Filipino Deaf Studies Program: Gladys Jane Claudy Bisnar

Student Council Representatives: Lizette dela Cruz

For SDEAS Gemmalyn Morta 

Outgoing BDA President Rodolfo Iligan Jr., is acting  temporary consultant to support and teach the new  BDA Officials. 

DLS-CSB : 17, 245 signatures for HBs for the Deaf!

Animo Benilde!

In  less than 3 weeks,  a great campaign was set off to gather signatures for the HouseBills for the Deaf:

                HB 4121- Sign Language TV Inset

                HB 4631- Interpreters in Courts. 

The goal was to be able to contribute to the needed 300,000 signatures to  lobby the Housebills supportive of Deaf access. 

With much effort, relentless determination and spirited campaign from all sectors of the College, as of June 29  the DLS-CSB community was able to gather 

17,245 signatures!!!

  

17, 245 is the count for signatures in the petition paper. Number does not yet reflect signatures gathered online. We have yet to ask PDRC for the total national signatures gathered.

Another good news is that PDRC  extended the gathering of signatures to July 30. We can go for 100,000 signatures to contribute! 

The campaign also  is great opportunity to clarify the importance of access to information for the Deaf as a basic human right. 

Let's go for more signatures.  Get in touch with Mackie, Raphy  or Mylene to get a copy of the petition papers. CPD office, 1st floor (beside PEN MLC), DLS-CSB Taft campus.  Or you can email: deaf.partnerships@benilde.edu.ph

Here is a link of how a bill becomes a law: http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/politi-ko/politiko-features/9057-15th-congress-house-of-representatives.html

Inclusive Education and the MDGs: How Does it Work?

By: Rex Bernardo

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Mayor Tito Sarion, publisher of Bicol Harvest, for giving Pinyasan King a new lease of life through this magazine. Pinyasan King used to have its weekly appearance for two years in the now defunct Bull’s Eye of the late radio brodcaster icon, Mang Amin Urbano. I feel that my column’s resurrection in Bicol Harvest is appropriate in a sense that I am giving a local flavor that would add more spice in the regional perspective of this magazine.

For my initial foray, I have chosen to delve on a topic which is very close to me: Inclusive Education. I was fortunate enough to attend the first ever conference “Implementing Disability-Inclusive Development in the Pacific and Asia” organized by the Australian Disability and Development Consortium (ADDC) and Australian National University (ANU) last September in Darwin, Australia. The said conference brings together people with disability, disability practitioners, development workers, representatives of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), community leaders, policy makers, academics, government and non-government organizations from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region to explore new ways of promoting inclusion of people with disability in development. I was also invited as a resource person and facilitated a roundtable research in inclusive education.

The slow progress towards meeting Education for all (EFA) Targets by 2015 has led to a focus on the clearer identification of the barriers to accessing basic education for disadvantaged groups. Some critics argued that the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will not be achieved 'without the inclusion of children with disabilities and young people in education.' There has also been criticism that disability was not even mentioned in the MDGs. It is increasingly recognized that significant numbers of children with disabilities do not have the opportunity to attend school on a regular basis. Some never enter school. Others may start but often make poor progress and ‘drop out.’

According to inclusive education advocate Dr. Alison Croft, there is also a growing understanding that there is a clear link between poverty and disability:

‘Being poor also increases one’s probability of becoming impaired and then disabled. This is not surprising as people living in poverty have limited access to basic health care, have insufficient and/or unhealthy food, poor sanitation facilities, and an increased risk and likelihood of living and working in hazardous conditions.’

The understanding of the term ‘Inclusive Education’ changed and developed over the years reflecting the way in which ‘Inclusion’ becomes a subject of debate internationally. It has been argued that Inclusion is a broader concept concerned with identifying and removing barriers to participation and achievement for all students, therefore maximizing the participation of all in mainstream schools. I share the view that inclusive education involves an education approach in which school, communities, parents and children cooperate to identify and remove the barriers to participation, enjoyment, and achievement at school.

Institutionalizing Inclusive Education is a matter of right for persons with disabilities. The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons or Republic Act 7277 (March 1992): "An Act Providing for the Rehabilitation, Self- Development and Self –Reliance of Persons with Disabilities and their Integration into the Mainstream of Society and for other Purposes" is the main legislative tool that promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The specific provision of the law pertaining to education:

Section 12 ”Access to Quality Education”: The state shall ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with adequate access to quality education and ample opportunities to develop their skills. It shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all persons with disabilities. It shall be unlawful for any learning institution to deny a persons with disabilities admission to any course it offers by reason of handicap or disability.

Rex Bernardo took the opportunity to participate in the "STAND UP TAKE ACTION, END POVERTY NOW" campaign for the attainment of MDGs while attending the Disability-inclusive Development Conference in Darwin Australia.

Further, Inclusive Education is given more flesh with the country’s ratification of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (UN-CRPD) last September 25, 2007. The convention mandated the government to be the primary duty bearer for the promotion and protection of human rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs) through legislative, administrative, judicial, and other measures.

1. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education. With a view to realizing this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity, State Parties shall ensure an inclusive education system at all levels and life long learning;

2 (a). State Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities are not excluded from the general education system on the basis of disability and that children with disabilities are not excluded from free and compulsory primary education, or from secondary education, on the basis of disability;

The following are the highlights of the CRPD Article 24 provisions on education:

5. State Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities are able to access general tertiary education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning without discrimination and on an equal basis with others. To this end, State Parties shall ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided to person with disabilities.

To achieve these aspirations inclusive principles of education need to be embedded in all areas of teaching and learning. There are specific components of core IE principles, such as challenging attitude and misinformation, or approaches to meeting the needs of identified groups of learners (e.g. Blind, Deaf, etc.) However, inclusive teaching is about:

- Providing good quality teaching and learning experience which engage and motivate children;

- Planning lessons which take into account their current levels of development and set them challenging targets to achieve;

- Seeing each child as an individual with their own individual strengths and needs.

The number of children with disabilities (CWDs) entering mainstream classes from SPED facilities is limited by Dep Ed to 2 children per class. The reason given is that it is not possible for the regular classroom teacher, given class sizes, to accommodate and meet their needs as well as those of other children in the class. However when children do enter the regular classes, because of lack of SPED teachers and other resources, there is limited adaptation to make the learning environment more inclusive. Although the SPED teacher can work with a CWD in the regular classroom, in practice it appears that this rarely occurs, party due to their own work demands and also because of the high demands that the regular classroom teacher faces.

Once children are enrolled in school, however, questions need to be raised about the quality of education. For example, children with special educational needs are included in mainstream school, but almost no additions are made or support given to facilitate the learning and participation of the children with disabilities at school. In the case of special Deaf classes at the Camarines Norte State College–Abano Campus, for instance, I noticed that some of the Deaf students had to repeat Grade 1 even though they have already graduated from elementary in their former school. The reason for this, according to their teacher, is that the said Deaf students did not even know how to read and write.

Inclusive Education should be integrated in the public policy in the Philippine educational system. The desired public policy should support the inclusion of student with disabilities in mainstream schools, whilst at the same facilitating the development of quality education through the introduction of a child centered teaching pedagogy. These initiative reflect national policy development driven by the Education for All / Millennium Development Goals agenda and attempts to initiate system wide change should reflect the provisions contained in the UN CRPD. Policies adopted should resolve the number of critical issues concerning the inclusion of children with disabilities in education, which demands greater investment in local communities and schools.

--oo00oo--

The author is a noted advocate on the rights of persons with disabilities. He is at present the Director for Research and teaches at Mabini College in Daet, Camarines Nortes.

Upon his return, Rex Bernardo organized the "1st Provincial Forum on Inclusive Education and Disability: Towards an Inclusive Society" held at Mabini Colleges last Dec. 9, 2010. Photo shows Rex with resource person Mirana Medina, an indie filmmaker whose film credits include the award-winning documentaries on the Filipino deaf "Silent Odyssey" and children with autism "Alyana."

Invitation for Fundraiser for Deaf women: - Film Screening "Hunghong sa Yuta" July 16, 2pm Sat. UP Film Center Cine Adarna

Filipino Deaf Women’s Health and Crisis Center, Inc.
Email fdwhcc@gmail.com / fdwhcc.secretary@gmail.com
Website: http://fdwhcc.webs.com/
SEC Registration No: A200292312
Taxpayer Identification No: 243 610 740 000
DSWD Registration No: NCR-2008-R-098


Dear friends and supporters,

Greetings from the Filipino Deaf Community!

It is our pleasure to invite you to a screening of the award-winning
independent film “Hunghong sa Yuta” on July 16 at the U.P. Film Center,
Cine Adarna from 2:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m.

The Filipino Deaf Women’s and Crisis Center Inc, (FDWHCC) was established
in November 1999 and incorporated in 2001. The FDWHCC is a Deaf people’s
organization comprised of Deaf women. Our vision and mission is to uplift
the welfare of Filipino Deaf women by upholding equality and social
justice through the improvement of standards of living. We foresee a
future wherein Filipino Deaf women are treated equally and without
discrimination in all aspects of life whether at home, in the workplace,
within the community and in the entire country. Our current concerns focus
on assistance for abused Deaf women.

Last year, we opened the Rainbow House (RH), a shelter for Deaf women in
difficult circumstances. It is the only one of its kind in the country.
It arose from a need of the Deaf community where the incidence of
gender-based violence is very high, compounded by inaccessibility of
facilities and programs in general for the Deaf. To date, we have housed
several Deaf women clients at RH, almost all victims of sexual violence.
The RH provides services to Deaf women victims / survivors of sexual
assault, domestic violence and stalking. We believe that violence is a
learned behaviour and envision a world where it is not tolerated. For
more information about RH, please visit http://fdwhcc.webs.com/.

As a small non-profit Deaf organization, the demands for maintaining RH
are very great. Financial support is needed primarily for meals, medical
appointments, legal-related expenses, therapeutic activities as well as
livelihood capital. Proceeds of this fund-raiser shall benefit not only
the organization but individual Deaf women who are striving to seek
justice and healing as well as regain their dignity.

The indie film “Hunghong sa Yuta” is a beautiful film by award-winning
director Arnel Mardoquio whose plot revolves around a group of Deaf
children in a fictional town in Mindanao. It is a powerful film not only
for its story and cinematography but also for the several relevant issues
that it touches on. It depicts the experiences of Muslims and indigenous
peoples in war-torn areas. It also shows the strong role of women in the
community, and the value of education. It speaks of the richness of our
cultures and communities. It is poignant, thought-provoking and
inspirational. Attached is an excerpt of a movie review by Bienvenido
Lumbera. We have chosen to screen this film not only because it includes
the theme of deafness and sign language in its plot but also because it is
truly a film that any Filipino would be proud of.

Please reserve tickets by email: fdwhcc.secretary@gmail.com. Tickets are
P120.00 (regular price) and P100.00 (students with current ID).

Thank you very much and we look forward to your support and attendance!

Sincerely,


Ma Rowena Rivera
0921.350.4051 / 0932.566.0318 (SMS only)
rbrivera2205@gmail.com



++++

HUNGHONG SA YUTA: A MINDANAO FILM FOR THE NATION
A film review
Bienvenido Lumbera
National Artist for Literature

“Earth’s Whisper” as the English translation of the title of Arnel
Mardoquio’s film about war and peace in Mindanao easily cues us on
how to read this story about a clutch of deaf-mute children in a
mountain community consisting of Christians, Muslims and Lumads, and the
teacher from the city who introduces them to the alphabet and numbers.
War between rebels and the military has devastated the community of
Hinyok, its most telling casualty being children born without the ability
to speak and hear whose fathers are now intent on training them to become
fighters to defend their land. Vigo Cruz, artist and toy-maker,
answers a posted notice about Hinyok’s need for a teacher, and his work
with the children brings joy and hope to the young war victims and their
mothers.

Mardoquio’s screenplay weaves together with realism and symbolism the many
contradictions that the war had imposed on the community. The
military has been sent by the Manila government to the jungles of Mindanao
to decimate the rebels as per the demands of politicians and businessmen
who want peace so their careers and business could prosper. The
communities are forced to take up arms to defend their farms and homes.
With husbands away as guerilla fighters, the mothers find themselves
taking sides in the war, suspicious of strangers who come into their
midst until Vigo comes to Hinyok and presents himself as a teacher to
their children. Thus, armed with the abakada and numbers, the
children become persons able to get hold of an alternative to their
crudely-fashioned wooden toy guns. Here Mardoquio’s narrative takes a
symbolic turn.

Having achieved their identity as persons, the children are on their way
to discovering the bond that integrates them as members of one community.
This is dramatized in their recovery of the brass instruments that the
war had caused to be abandoned in a stream following a massacre of
villagers. But the joy of making music is disrupted by the revelation
that a man assumed to be a rebel leader turns out to be a soldier spying
on the community. The deaths that ensue bring out the lamentable
consequences of war that does not spare the lives of men of goodwill such
as Vigo, the tribal woman leader Buyag Inggan, the intrepid fighter Wahab,
the recalcitrant Amrayda, all of them betrayed by the traitorous Taok.

An advocacy project of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart Youth Ministry
under the leadership of Br. Noelvic Deloria SC, “Hunghong sa Yuta” is
part of what its producers intends as a “mobile peace education campaign.”
What distinguishes it from the usual advocacy project is the meticulous
care given by the director and his staff, and the passion and excellence
of the finished project. Mardoquio as director had been able to assemble a
highly competent cast from Davao City theater folk that includes Nelson
Dino, Lucia Cijas, Joan Mae Soco, Popong Landero, Mario Leofer Lim and
Christine Lim, and the child actors Jaymar Generana and Marvin Mindog
blend with confidence with the adult performers. Of the technical staff
assisting Mardoquio, outstanding is the work of the cinematographer Egay
Navarro whose achievement with a single high-density digital camera can
only be described as “miraculous.” As film editor, Arthur Ian Garcia
provides Navarro superior assistance in turning out a smooth but dynamic
narrative flow for the film in spite of the limited imagery captured by
only one camera. Composer Popong Landero has provided music that
hauntingly captures the ethnic atmosphere of Hinyok and its three-people
culture.

“Hunghong sa Yuta” is a Davao film that richly deserves to be seen
nation-wide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiGq8eBqn48. Subtitles in English.

House Bills 4121 and 4631

Being one of the signatories of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the Philippine government is responsible for addressing the needs of the Deaf and for providing equality and accessibility for them. However, the current laws in the country do not include the provision of sign language insets for news programs and the hiring of interpreters for the persons with disabilities which further disables the Deaf community. 

To address this problem, the Deaf community is currently supporting the two House Bills that were proposed and submitted to the House of Congress by Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Congressman Teodoro Casiño, the House Bill 4121 or the Sign-language insets for News Programs Act of 2011 and the House Bill 4631 or the Court Interpreters for Persons with Disabilities Act.

Below is the further elaboration of the two House Bills being proposed.

HOUSE BILL No. 4121

Sign-language insets for News Programs Act of 2011.

Section 22 of Republic Act No. 7277, or the “Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities,” as amended by Republic Act No. 9442, is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Sec. 22 Broadcast Media – ALL LOCAL television stations shall be REQUIRED to provide a sign-language inset, AND IF POSSIBLE, subtitles in at least TWO (2) newscast programs a day and special programs covering events of national significance.”

Without subtitles or sign language on TV, the Deaf are deprived of timely and relevant information that broadcast news provides.

Through this proposed bill, the broadcast media will be more accessible to the Deaf. It may also pave the way for more captioned or sign-language interpreted programs in the future.

It should also be considered that less than 5% of the reported 120,000 Deaf persons are literate or have received any form of schooling according to the Philippine Deaf Resource Center. This is why Filipino sign language is preferred over captions.

HOUSE BILL No. 4631

Court Interpreters for Persons with Disabilities Act.

“SECTION 4. Hiring of interpreters. – All courts, quasi-judicial bodies, agencies and government institutions conducting investigations and public hearings shall hire interpreters for proceedings involving individuals ascertained to be deaf through accepted clinical standards and procedures. However, a deaf individual may waive the right to an interpreter. The concerned body that hired the services of the interpreter shall provide the budget for the prompt payment of interpreters which shall be on a per appearance basis, including travel, board/lodging as well as other expenses before the case is filed in court.”

There is a need of interpreters for the Deaf during investigative and judicial proceedings. Unfortunately, the current system does not have a clear procedure for such resulting to delay in proceedings and the Deaf having to pay and find a suitable interpreter.

The proposed bill addresses all of these problems. It is the responsibility of the State to provide interpreters during any government proceeding, be it for police investigations, court, or public hearings. Hired interpreters are also entitled to sufficient payment and rest.

Source: http://housebills4deaf.webs.com/apps/documents/

An online petition to push these House Bills is currently on going and everyone is asked and invited to sign the petition in support to the Deaf community. Please also feel free to pass on the message to your Deaf, Hearing, Filipino and non-Filipino friends.

Sign the Petition here: http://housebills4deaf.webs.com/

edited by: Marina Viktoria De Los Reyes

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