This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 8, April 3-9, 2005
Baguio’s College for
the Mute
Two mute students benefited
from a project of Easter College that seeks to help the differently abled cope
with their academic work. Now that college is over, they are urging the
government to help other schools set up similar projects.
By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW BAGUIO CITY – Like other
graduates, excitement was seen in the faces of two very special students. To say that Liso P. Agpas,
Jr. and Christopher L. Kulallad cannot express in words their happiness must be
taken literally, because these two graduates are mute. They are the first
differently-abled students to join this year’s graduates of Easter College in
this city last April 1. Agpas and Kulallad both
earned a Bachelor of Secondary Education, major in Special Education (SPED).
They are products of a special project of Easter College called Special Action
for the Rehabilitation and Advancement of the Handicapped (SARAH). Through an interpreter,
Agpas and Kulallad stressed that they joined regular education classes with
other students. A regular class with special students requires a teacher
knowledgeable in sign language. If a teacher does not know sign language, they
request the assistance of the teachers from SARAH or other students to
interpret. In elementary and high
school, there is a distinct curriculum for special classes for the differently
abled. Speech and sign language are integrated in their subjects. According to
SARAH teachers Marione Dapliyan and Shirley Fag-ayan, the differently abled
students join regular classes in college. Difficulties in learning
The son of a Benguet
provincial board member, Agpas admitted that at the start, he found it difficult
adjusting with his classmates since most of them knew nothing about sign
language. Consequently, the SARAH project assisted him. He sought the help of
SARAH teachers in his subjects like Math and English. Kulallad, whose parents are
from Bontoc, Mountain Province, had the same experience when he entered the
college in 1998. He was particularly shocked to know that he will be with
regular students. He felt sorry for himself when nobody helped him translate his
ideas to regular students, especially after class. “But I was able to overcome
it with the help of our SARAH teachers and differently abled friends,” he said
in sign language interpreted by Fag-ayan. Need for government
support Agpas and Kulallad urged
the government to establish schools with projects similar to SARAH. The two were schoolmates at
the Special Education (SPED) in Baguio City in elementary. Kulallad studied at
the San Lorenzo Ruiz Institute at Bakakeng in this city. With no high schools
for them in Baguio and La Trinidad, Agpas was forced to study at the School for
the Deaf in Pasay City, Metro Manila. He sacrificed being away from his family
to finish high school. Armed with a college
degree, the two said that they will now help other differently abled people.
They said that they are willing to serve as volunteers, as long as they can
share their knowledge and experience. Supporters of the SARAH
project stressed that education is not only for the physically normal people but
also for those with physical limitations. This is a reality that the government
should address as their role in national development should also be harnessed,
the SARAH teachers said. Northern Dispatch / Bulatlat © 2004 Bulatlat
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Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat