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| (Image Source: SM Foundation Inc.) |
Being hearing-impaired is a challenge in itself, navigating a world where communication relies heavily on spoken words. In the Philippines, this challenge further creates a gap, as opportunities for the deaf are limited, particularly in education and employment. The struggle is intensified as only a few secondary learning institutions are catering to their unique needs with affordability and facility conditions further hindering their pursuit of skills and knowledge.
Shery Funcion, the Principal of the Philippine School for the Deaf (PSD) in Pasay City, is no stranger to these challenges. Her dedication to the cause began with her college thesis, focusing on job opportunities for deaf learners. Since then, she has immersed herself in various organizations and volunteer activities, gaining firsthand insights into the limited opportunities available to deaf learners. She eventually became a Special Education (SPED) teacher before taking on the role of principal in PSD. Funcion underscored the importance of providing facilities for students with hearing impairrment, stating, "The immersive experience really showed me how important these projects are for our students — kung gaano kahalaga ang pagbibigay ng mga pasilidad sa mga mag aaral lalo na sa mga bingi."
The century-old PSD's senior high school laboratory building serves as the training ground for students. Its classrooms and halls, no matter how old, have always played their role in honing and preparing deaf students to have solid career prospects after PSD. Amidst the competing priorities within the school and the broader Philippine educational system, the facility barely had enough funds for the rehabilitation and major repairs it needed. For years, students and teachers worked around issues ranging from dim lighting and leaking roofs to uneven floors. These not only presented structural concerns but also hindered the overall learning experience of students. Funcion stressed, “Our deaf learners need special accommodation to fulfill their special educational needs. They need to have a conducive learning environment so we can optimize the activities and learning programs."
Funcion further shared that the 2023 collaborative project of the Henry Sy Foundation, the SM Group's social good arm SM Foundation Inc.(SMFI), and the Department of Education (DepEd)'s Schools Division Office of Pasay City could not have come at a better time, saying, “The rehabilitation of the Home Economics (HE) laboratories is crucial because students need to fulfill their performance tasks. These are vital components of our senior high school program to ensure that they acquire essential skills and competencies for employment post-graduation from PSD.” Through the collaboration, PSD has been provided with the much-needed facilities in dressmaking, beauty care, cookery, electrical, bartending, food and beverage preparation, ICT (Information and Communications Technology), and dance. For Funcion, PSD's Henry Sy. Sr. building serves as a great beginning that will help pave equal opportunities and create a future where deaf students’ abilities will shine within and beyond the four walls of classrooms.
