By SHEILA M BASBAS
NAGA CITY: On its fourth year in Bicol, the Deaf Awareness Week
celebration has exceeded expectations.
Organized by the Bicol Adult
Deaf and Youth to educate, enrich their lives, and inspire them to reach their
full potential, the celebration also aims to impress on other people that their
lack of ability to hear does not hinder them from doing their share in the
community.
The organization, headed by its President Johna Guiruela who is already
working in Manila, and its Vice President Dondy Anacin, together with fellow
officers, Bellsy Mae Misolas, Anne Genterola and the rest of the group believe
that the weeklong yearly celebration sends the message that being deaf is not a
total disability, and though their ability to communicate effectively with
hearing people may be impaired, the deaf are very much a part of society and
cannot be ignored.
With the theme, Ano DAW? Dynamic Engaged Attuned Family, the
celebration kicked off with a career orientation seminar, and a consultation
with business owners on employment of deaf people.
This was followed by a series of talks that
were meant to increase their capability to deal with the rest of the world.
To guide the deaf with their rights and privileges, the Social Security
System (SSS) discussed about the advantages of being an SSS member.
The
Pag-ibig talk gave the deaf community a better understanding of the need to
save for their future and how to loan certain amount to use for their business
through the multi-purpose loan that Pag-ibig offers.
A representative from
Philhealth discussed about the healthbenefits a deaf member can avail of.
A representative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), on the
other hand, dealt with learning the ropes in business.
A speaker from the Technical Educational Systems Development Authority
(TESDA) told them about scholarships and opportunities a deaf person can avail
at their office.
There are indeed courses which do not require extensive
communication, like commercial cooking, welding and other short term courses
which a deaf person can train in three months, and land a job or open up a
business after the training.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) explained carefully the rights of
a deaf person in terms of securing a driver’s license.
The brief seminar on
traffic rules and regulations gave the deaf a better insight on how to avoid
road accidents, while the Health Emergency Medical Staff (HEMS) team from BMC gave an extensive
basic first aid for the deaf.
With the celebration’s thrust to uplift the status of the deaf people
in the society, a series of livelihood training seminars such as button
handicrafts, basic cartooning, and Origami were conducted to enrich the skill
of the hearing impaired.
As a result of all these activities, this year, they didn’t just get
their hands busy doing sign language but were also preoccupied learning new
skills which they can use in the future.
The Deaf Awareness Week committee is headed by its advisor Philip
Olivan, a businessman, supported by the Gualandi Sisters and the backbone of
the group, the staunch advocates, Dr. Filip Pio, Jr. and Alma Guiruela. - Bicol Mail
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