Announcements: Be On the Look Out for PWDs and Deaf People

Please lend a hand.

To all volunteers in collection and distribution centers of affected areas: Please be on the look out for Deaf people and other People with Disabilities. They are one of the most vulnerable groups... they need additional help to make sure information reach them. We will update in a while on specifics of what to do and how to help.

Please let me know if you have suggestions or you are in contact with Deaf and PWD groups or individuals who are in need of special assistance- State Name, Address, Name of School if student, if need help state situation, if assisted and is in evacuation center please state contact details... more to come......we will just collect information for now.

Contact -Nicky 09272809550, Techie 09175702946, Giselle 09175008836 or 09188855212, John 09183099408, Joi V 09196355131. Update you soon.

SDEAS Business Track students tour Gardenia Factory

Last Aug 7, 2009, ENGLICOM, the Filipino-Chinese student organization of DLSU-M, sponsored a tour of the Gardenia Factory in Laguna for SDEAS Business Track students.

The ENGLICOM members and SDEAS students were treated with a video presentation of how Gardenia started and how it grew to be a very successful company today. The video emphasized on Gardenia’s corporate values and commitment to Quality and Consistency in every bread they make. After the video presentation the students were toured around the vast bread factory. The students were fascinated by how big the operation was and how quality is maintained in each stage of the baking process up until the bread is packed and delivered to the customers. The factory tour ended with a visit to the bread shop where visitors could buy different Gardenia products at discounted prices.

After the Gardenia factory tour, the group headed back to Manila. The group settled at Luneta Park to have lunch. Everyone brought food to share. ENGLICOM even prepared some food for the whole group. When everyone was full and rested, it was time for interaction. Even though it was raining at that time the group proceeded to have some fun and games. The group played charades inside the bus while they waited for the rain to stop. When the rain clouds cleared, everyone participated in some parlor games on the park grounds.

At the end of the day, the students were all tired and some were dirty with mud but both the Deaf and the Hearing students learned something new and surely had a great time. This partnership of SDEAS with ENGLICOM shows that we could all learn from each other if we just set aside our differences and celebrate our similarities.

Written by: Jason Quiñones

ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION:
Lessons from Riku Virtanen

ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION:
Lessons from Riku Virtanen

Riku Virtanen is a Deaf-Blind lawyer fromFinland and currently the Vice President of the Threshold Association, a group that advocates for independent living and human rights.

Augusto-Rosario Gonzales Theater, 5th floor De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde,

2544 Taft Ave, Manila

June 30, 2009

9:30 am - 11:30 am

For Inquiries, email : sdeas.opd@gmail.com

text: 09162657558

Study Sign Language and Open Opportunities!

Study Sign Language and Open Opportunities!

Reach Out to More People!

Discover the uniqueness of Deaf Culture!


SIGN UP FOR FILIPINO SIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES
at the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB)


Classes are held three hours a week for 14 weeks and are conducted

by Deaf teachers.

Choose from the following schedule are: Mon/Wed/Fri, or Mon/Fri, or Tues/Thurs, or Sat.

Course fee : Php 2,400.00 (plus Php 535 for those who do not have a

DLS-CSB Generic ID).


For inquiries, please contact the Filipino Sign Language Learning Program

(FSLLP) unit at the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS)

office at 526-7441 Local 131 by ENROLLMENT EXTENDED TO JUNE 26,2009

San Isidro Parish Welcomes the SDEAS Deaf Community

For the first time interpreted masses were held at the San Isidro Parish in Taft Avenue Pasay City last October 21, 2007. And thru the efforts of students of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (DLS-CSB SDEAS) these interpreted masses continue to this day. The second year Deaf students (E2A and E2B) under Ms. Maria Teresa Buenaventura’s RECONSE (Religion and Contemporary Search for the Self) classes have taken the responsibility of organizing and coordinating this effort.

The interpreted mass every Sunday, 8:45 -10 am continues to accommodate SDEAS Deaf students, alumni, faculty and even some friends from CAP College, School for the Deaf. Ma. Teresa Buenaventura says the idea behind these efforts is to make Sunday church services accessible to those living near the Taft Ave. area. Ms. Tess urged her Deaf students to help build the Deaf community by serving their spiritual needs. Mam Tess is also a volunteer.

The students organize and coordinate all the requirements for the interpreted masses. What used to be a big dream continues to come true.

SDEAS faculty members turned church outreach volunteers like Ms. Noemi Lacambacal, Ms. Nicky Perez, Ms. Agnes Canayon, Ms. Rubylee De Castro, Mr. John Baliza and Mr. Leo Cabasag serve as sign language interpreters while Deaf Faith Formator Mr. John Paolo Trinidad serve as reader.

The parents are also helping, one of the parents donated a reading stand (the parent is actually this writer’s mom). Another parent (Mrs. de Leon) donated “reserved” signages for Deaf mass goers. This project falls within the La Sallian Ministry for the Deaf (LMPD). The first celebrator of the interpreted masses at San Isidro was Fr. Job Padayattil from India.

Below is the interview I have made with Fr. Job :

Ana: Was this your first time to see a Deaf community?

Fr. Job: “I have met many deaf people before. But I am meeting Deaf people as a community for the first time. Even though I had seen a Deaf community near De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, when I became the celebrant for your masses, I felt how spiritually very enriching to see your participation in mass. Always the community had been an inspiration for me. How you face the challenges in your life is quite amazing.”

Ana: How did you feel when you see the Deaf community every Sunday during the mass?

Fr. Job: “Dear Deaf friends, I am very happy to see you for my mass. You fill my heart with joy. I really see your enthusiasm and your deep faith. Many who have all blessings do not realize the value of the blessings they have. I know all of you realize the value of all the blessings you have as you lack one blessing of hearing. But you are only physically deaf. You are all spiritually able to hear. Many people in the world can physically hear, but are spiritually deaf. It is better to spiritually able to hear than, being only able to hear physically and spiritually deaf.

God will certainly reward you for your spiritual hearing (hearing Jesus' inner voice, talking to you.) I hope all of you can hear it. That is why you are an inspiration for me. The way you read, sing (through sign language) ... all really touches me. I know you are inspiring all other churchgoers there. Your smiles, genuine love etc... are so visible to me. God loves you all. I too love you all. God loves you more than other people, because He has preferential option for the less fortunate (in your case, as you are not fortunate to hear). He loves you always. He will guide you and all of you will achieve much blessings just because you are faithful to Him. That is why I say "You are an inspiration! Please continue to be inspiring others to Love God".”

Ana: What do you wish for the Deaf community?

Fr. Job: “I wish for the Deaf community to love each other in the community. Support each other. You can understand each other better than anyone else. And I know all of you have inner pains. Some may have sadness and anger because of the condition. I pray for them to heal that pain and they are able to overcome all obstacles. Some may have already accepted it as a God's gift.

I believe even your deafness is a God's gift to you. Accept it as his gift and Thank Jesus for being Deaf. There is a plan for God, making you deaf... we do not know it yet! but God will reveal to you "why" later. Keep praising him, keep thanking him, believe in God. Second, would be to believe in your self. When God does not give certain gift, he compensates it by giving other gifts. God has compensated you with other gifts.

I don’t know what they are. You have to find them out and improve them. You have many gifts and talents. You can be more loving, more sympathetic... to suffering humanity.....by sharing the gifts which God has given you. And I believe that some of you will be great and famous one day. And some of you will touch the hearts of many. And you are already inspiring many. I am also proud of you, how you could defeat the obstacles which were on your way and you were able to manage well and have good achievements.”

Ana: Thank you very much for your kind words.

Fr. Job: You are welcome and God bless you always.

(Ana Arce)

14th deaf Festival