PHILIPPINE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF GETS RENOVATED

“Every one of us is blind and deaf until our eyes are opened to our fellowmen, until our ears hear the voice of humanity.”  – Helen Keller

The Henry Sy Foundation, Inc. through SM Foundation turned over repaired, renovated and refurbished learning facilities to the Philippine School for the Deaf in Pasay City. Present at the inauguration and turnover ceremony were SM Foundation officers led by its Executive Director Debbie Sy, Executive Director for Education Linda Atayde, DepEd officials, and Pasay City Rep. Antonino Calixto and Mayor Imelda Calixto Rubiano.

The Philippine School for the Deaf traces its roots to the School for the Deaf and Blind, the pioneer school for the handicapped in the Philippines, a semi-residential school. It was in June 1923 when the school occupied the present building, a two-storey and semi-concrete structure on a donated lot. Other buildings were constructed in the years that followed. By 1963, the School for the Deaf and Blind became two schools: The Philippine National School for the Blind and The Philippine School for the Deaf.

Over the years, the buildings housing the Philippine School for the Deaf have deteriorated. This prompted the Office of the Department of Education NCR Schools Division Office of Pasay City to request assistance from SM Foundation through the government’s Adopt-A School Program to repair, renovate and improve the Senior High School Building, classrooms and laboratory.

Unwavering in its commitment to help provide a conducive learning environment, SM Foundation through its School Building Program under its Head, Ms. Juris Soliman, worked on the needed repair, renovation and refurbishment.

Problems were addressed and ramps and railings for accessibility were also put in place.

 Rehabilitated and fully re-tiled are two 2-storey laboratory buildings each with 10 classrooms, one conference room, lobby with reception area and a handwashing facility with ten faucets. 

Toilets in separate building: the male toilet with two cubicles and two urinals were also rehabilitated and a female toilet with four cubicles. Hand washing facilities in each toilet were rehabilitated.

Eleven classrooms for classes in dressmaking, beauty care, cookery, electrical, bartending, food & beverage preparation, Senior High School, ICT 1&2, dance studio with dressing room and a conference room were repaired, rehabilitated and refurbished.

Also included in the rehabilitation work was the covered court with a big stage.