The 29th Deaf Festival, a week-long celebration of the creativity, inclusivity, and accomplishments of the Deaf community, will be held at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB).
Established and organized by Deaf students in November 1995, the event coincides with the Deaf Awareness Week, declared through Proclamation No. 829 of the National Council on Disability Affairs.
The event aims to unite and strengthen the collaboration with the different partners of the Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS).
The series of activities will commence with a Mass and opening ceremony at the Augusto Rosario-Gonzalez (ARG) Theater at the Taft Campus. It will be followed by an exhibit inauguration that showcases artworks and historical pictures of past Deaf Festivals. A bazaar launch of the Deaf entrepreneurs’ local businesses will likewise be held.
Awareness orientations and lectures designed to familiarize hearing participants on Filipino Sign Language (FSL) and communication strategies will be presented. Speakers will include Bronson Escalderon, proud Deaf individual, advocate and SDEAS Career Coach, and Raymond Manding, Philippine Federation of the Deaf National Capital Region Board Member and SDEAS Deaf Advocacy Program Coordinator.
Training sessions that cover the importance of interpreter advocacy and linguistic perceptions will be discussed by John Xandre Baliza, SDEAS Bachelor in Sign Language Interpretation (BSLI) Chairperson and Interpreting Education Program Coordinator, and Dx. Raphael Domingo, Deaf Heritage and FSL Studies Unit Head.
Fun and interactive exercises such as FSL storytelling and sing-along with signs for Deaf and non-Deaf members will likewise be conducted.
To bring Deaf children into the mainstream setting and to immerse them within the broader community, Bagong Ilog Elementary School Deaf pupils will also visit the campus and interact with the SDEAS volunteers and associates.
To offer a meaningful service to the community, attendees are set to participate in a coastal clean-up project in the protected site of Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland.
The SDEAS Alumni Summit will reconnect graduates and advocates.
The culminating show entitled Manghod will feature the performances of Silent Steps, the official Deaf dance group of SDEAS, and other guests from different organizations. Spearheaded by Deaf choreographer and director Myra Medrana, it will serve as a platform to illustrate the talent and skills of the participants.
The production follows the journeys of Benildean college graduates who embarked on an adventure to different destinations. During their trips, they meet various people with whom they share their life experiences to give hope and inspiration.
Manghod is open to the public on Saturday, November 25, 2023, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are available at P200.
The 29th Deaf Festival will be held alongside the college’s 35th Anniversary. It will run from Monday to Friday, November 13 to 17, and Saturday, November 25, 2023.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/SDEASDeafFestival.
