National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week 2010

The National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week is an annual celebration of the national government being spearheaded by then National Commission Concerning Disabled Persons (NCCDP) by virtue of Proclamation No. 1870 issued in June 22, 1979 by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Subsequently, in August 19, 2000, President Joseph E. Estrada issued Proclamation No. 361 superseding Proclamation No. 1870 wherein the celebration of that week long event was spearheaded by the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons, the forerunner of NCCDP and now the National Council on Disability Affairs. This public policy aims at paying tribute to millions of Filipinos nationwide and recognizing their valuable contributions in nation-building. Its primary objective is to stimulate public awareness on disability problems and concerns particularly issues on disability prevention, rehabilitation and equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs). The observance of this event is being commemorated on July 17-23 and shall culminate on the birthdate of Apolinario Mabini, the “Sublime Paralytic” on July 23.

To read more on the 32nd National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week with the theme ‘’SA ISTRUKTURANG ACCESSIBLE, LAHAT AY ABLE,” click below:

32nd-national-disability-prevention-and-rehabilitation-week

For the schedule of the week long celebrations, click

2010-ndpr-week-calendar-of-activities.html

Salutatorian with Autism Delivers High School Graduation Speech

A friend Atty.  Robert Sison forwarded to me about Eric Duquette, a person with autism who graduated salutatorian.  Thanks to his parents who stood by him and never gave up even if he could not say a word until he was five years of age. To read the report and to watch him as he delivers his speech, please click below:

story?id=10933858

Silent O Got an Award

Yesterday, I received the following press release from the 3rd BC Deaf Film Festival “DC 3″ Secretariat in Washington, D.C. [Or click films.html]

April 13, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Subject: 3rd D.C. Deaf Film Festival Award Winners

Washington, D.C. – The DC Deaf Film Festival “DC 3″ hosted by the District of Columbia \ Association of the Deaf (DCAD) on March 26 and 27th at George Washington University was a rousing success. Filmmakers and attendees came from as far away as the United Kingdom
and California.

DCAD will host single film evenings later in 2010. The 4th DC Deaf Film Festival will return in Spring 2012. Watch future announcements for more information.

The award winners for the DC 3 Festival are:

Jury’s Choice Award – Best Feature Documentary: “Anna’s Silent Struggle” (Netherlands)

DCAD Honorable Mention in Feature Documentary: “Silent Odyssey” (Philippines)* and “Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind In the Spotlight” (Virginia)

Jury’s Choice Award – Best Short Documentary: “Exodus” (New York)

DCAD Honorable Mention in Short Documentary: “Coach Huizar” (New Mexico)

Jury’s Choice Award – Best Feature Drama: “Coming Home” (United Kingdom)

Jury’s Choice Award – Best Drama Short: “Hands Solo”  (United Kingdom)

Jury’s Choice Award – Best Short Art: “All Animals” (California) and “The Parcel” (United Kingdom)

Jury’s Choice Award – Best Student Film: “Blue Sky” (Massachusetts) and “Silent Films (California)

DCAD Honorable Mention “Death by Deafness” (United Kingdom) and “Land of the Deaf” (New Zealand)

Reel Feature Length Audience Choice Award: “Anna’s Silent Struggle” (Netherlands)

Reel International Audience Choice Award: “Hands Solo” (United Kingdom) and “Coming Home” (United Kingdom)

Reel American Audience Choice Award: “Blue Sky” (Massachusetts) and “Silent Films” (California)

Reel DC Audience Choice Award:  ”Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind In the Spotlight” (Virginia)

Grand Audience Choice Award (Best of 2 Days): “Hands Solo” (United Kingdom)

More information is posted at www.ASLFilmFestival.com.
Congratulations to all the winners!

Thanks goes to Sorenson Communication and George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs for sponsoring this event.

And many thanks goes to our festival chairperson Brianne Burger and her committee for their tireless hours of hard work organizing and running the Film Festival. This festival would have not been possible without them.

###

To obtain more information, please contact DCAD Vice President and PR Director Alexander Zernovoj at ASLFilm@dcdeaf.org.

——————————–

*Received yesterday, July 6, 2010

Silent O Journeys to Washington University

I was so happy to receive an email from Mr. Alexander Zernovoj, District of Columbia Association for the Deaf (DCAD) Vice President confirming the acceptance of Silent Odyssey in the District of Columbia Deaf Film Festival. He wrote in part:

Congratulations! Your film, Silent Odyssey, has been accepted for the 3rd D.C. Deaf Film Festival, March 26 – 27, 2009, hosted by the District of Columbia Association for the Deaf (DCAD). The film festival will be held at George Washington University’s Jack Morton Auditorium.

You are cordially invited to attend our D.C. Deaf Film Festival. Not only you will have one free full combo pass to all two days of the film festival activities, you will also get an invitation for two people to the exclusive VIP Filmmaker Reception. There will be an opportunity for you to join in a Q & A and possible panel discussion with the audience at the film festival. More information on the panel will be released later.

More information will be posted on their website at www.ASLfilmfestival.com.

Now… what makes me really excited is the fact that my film focuses on the Filipino Sign Language (FSL). FSL in an ASL (American Sign Language) Film Festival seem interesting. And I am thinking that maybe because FSL was historically influenced by ASL anyway, the fest organizers considered that. SO showing would give the audience an idea as to what FSL is now, and what our Deaf Filipinos really feel towards the use of their own sign language. Would ASL signers feel bad because our Deaf are now fighting for recognition of FSL? I doubt it. Deaf Americans too must have had the same experience with French Sign Language. They in the process produced signs uniquely their own. They too fought, or are still fighting too? for the use of ASL versus oral education for the Deaf and/or Signing Exact English (SEE). I honestly do not know. But I know what most of Deaf Pinoys want and hope for…promotion of sign language use, FSL awareness, and its recognition and practice in all Deaf schools.

Silent O in Alberta, Canada_Feb 8

Finally, the Secretariat of Picture This…Film Festival, Canada’s first international disability film festival received the copies of my Deaf film, and today confirmed the screening of Silent Odyssey in Calgary, Alberta in Canada for the 10th edition of PTFF. They earlier had a problem with the first DVD that I sent, so I resent copies — in two formats to be sure [DVD and mini-DV tape]. I hope that this time, they won’t encounter any problem anymore.

It is scheduled to be shown between 1 pm and 4.30 pm. [Click to see the full sked with SO under "True Stories" picture_this_schedule1_2010].

All the films will be shown at La Joie De Vivre
1008 – 14th Street S.E.
Calgary, Alberta

Speech Pathologists sponsor Silent O at UP CAMP

Honestly, I wondered how come students of Speech Pathology preferred to show Silent O over Alyana, my film on autism knowing how directly involved they would be to persons with autism when they start to work. In addition, Silent O slants on Deaf as cultural-linguistic minority group not on pathological or medical viewpoint that they are physically disabled.  To know from Liw Caldito that SEADC would be the beneficiary of the proceeds made it understandable to me. Weeks before that, someone from the UP Manila Speech Pathology group emailed me but they never mentioned anything about SEADC. They just asked what films on PWDs are available. I even told Liw about it not knowing that they were the same group Liw had been talking about before.

Even then, I still tried to find some other reasons that could justify their preference:  Probably I thought that they would want to know the other side of the coin, so to say. To know who Deaf people are and probably to know if what they are learning would apply, and eventually, probably decide to learn sign language because it is true that most persons with autism are non-verbal and basic sign language would be of use to facilitate communication. “Acting as if they [children with autism] are Deaf” is one of the symptoms of autism anyway so entering the world of the Deaf should be of real interest afterall. I just hope that when they enter the viewing room, students would also leave behind the fact that they are students of speech pathology. Their minds should be open, and be like sponges to absorb all the knowledge that they can possibly learn from the members of the Deaf community themselves. They will be learning something different because it is about a unique group of wonderful people.

Last night, Liw Caldito, SEADC Founder sent this email—

Here is poster on Silent Odyssey to be shown at the UP-Manila CAMP for the benefit of the Deaf… Prices are 80pesos for students and 150 for professionals. Tickets will be sold at the gate.

Proceeds of the film will go to:

Support and Empower Abused Deaf Children or SEADC

sponsored by The Collegiate Association of Speech Pathologists, UP

Sight and Signs: Deaf in Cinema

Silent O with Dinig Sana Kita, Puntod and River of Dreams, under the Sights and Sights Program of the CineManila International Film Festival on-going until October 25 are scheduled this week. This is the first-time ever that a local film festival slated a program focused on Deaf people. By doing so, it will lift their esteem somehow. I believe that  showing Deaf persons in films as “equals” to hearing persons will greatly help in empowering them. In the past, Deaf are included in Filipino  films only in bit or supporting roles, and most of the time as “laughing stock” or to give comic relief to the extent of degrading the character of a Deaf person. Romalito Mallari [Deaf] in Dinig Sana Kita (2oo9) by Mike Sandejas for example, the latest film with Deaf as one of the main characters proved that Deaf persons are “equals” or maybe better and happier than hearing persons for failing to really “hear” the other.

My film Silent Odyssey on the other hand is a straight advocacy film promoting equality, and stressing on the importance of sign language to the Deaf, afterall it is what sets them apart from persons with disabilities. That there is such thing as LINGUISTIC HUMAN RIGHTS, that Deaf is a CULTURAL-LINGUISTIC minority group with their own language. That they have HISTORY. Deaf signs express their hearts, their minds, their souls. Besides, sign language is beautiful, enjoyable to sign, and I think better to learn than any foreign language because it teaches the learner too how to be physically [bodily] and visually [facially] be more expressive. Signs and body language merge.

I honestly haven’t seen the two other films in the program. Anyway, see the schedule below:

Silent Odyssey Joins CINEMANILA International Film Fest

Silent Odyssey was invited for screening at the CineManila International Festival as part of SIGHT and SIGNS : Deaf in Cinema Section.

The festival is now on-going from October 15-25, 2009 in Taguig City. SO is scheduled to be shown at Cinema 6 in Market, Market, Taguig City on October 22, 2009 at 7:15 pm.

As part of the coming Deaf Awareness Celebrations in November, Silent O is also scheduled to screen in Baguio City. And that is if no typhoon[s], worse than Pepeng or Ondoy visit the place.  Silent O will also screen in Baguio City at 2pm. in CAP Auditorium located in Upper Session Road. The film showing is for the benefit of the Philippine Federation of the Deaf.

Silent Odyssey on August 22, 2009

From the:

Office Of Partnership and Development, School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS), De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (CSB):

“Silent Odyssey will be shown  on August 22, 2009 9:30 Saturday *
at the SDA Cinema, 12th floor, SDA Building of the De La Salle-College of
Saint Benilde,  P. Ocampo St., Manila.

“SILENT ODYSSEY—a journey into the Deaf world—
brings out the Filipino Deaf’s sentiments towards the hearing society,
chronicles the significant and pioneering efforts of different institutions
and personages in Philippine Deaf history and
touches on important and current issues on Deaf education.”

Proceeds of tickets sold for Silent Odyssey will go to  the Deaf Scholarship
Fund.Tickets at P100 only.”

For reservations and inquiries:
email:sdeas.…@gmail.com <email%3Asdeas.…@gmail.com> or call us at 726 7441 local 239.

–
Office Of Partnership and Development
School of Deaf Education and
Applied Studies
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde
2544 Taft Ave., Manila, Philippines
Tel. (632) 526-7441 loc.239
Telefax (632) 400-5406
email: sdeas.…@gmail.com
www.dls-csb.edu.ph

A BLIND ARCHITECT with ALYANA and SO

Next week on July 21, the latest docu that I have just finished, “A BLIND ARCHITECT: The Vision of a Non-Handicapping Environment” [14 min] doubles with the scheduled showing of my film on autism “ALYANA.” It features Architect Jaime “Jimmy” Silva and Arch. Armand Eustaquio of the United Architects of the Philippines Committee on Accessibility. Produced by APCD Foundation and JICA, it will be the first run of A Blind Archi with any of my docu-features. The free showings are scheduled from 3pm at Pasay City Sports Complex.

Arch. Jaime Silva (above) in a corridor of the office building where he works as a Manager and (below) while listening to the film presentation during a special preview for him and Arch. Armand.

Architects Jimmy Silva (left) and Armand Eustaquio (right)

Then on July 23, it will be shown with “SILENT ODYSSEY” in San Julian, Samar in the Eastern Visayas organized by the group of Ma. Gilda Quintua [Deaf Go-Negosyo Awardee] who, although featured in the film has not seen SO yet.

Both feature films are aimed at raising awareness about the PWD conditions and needs, and that ability not disability matters. A Blind Architect focuses on the introduction of Non-Handicapping Environment (NHE) in the country, the people advocating for it so that better lives for PWDs, especially the physically impaired shall be effected through implementation of BP344 or the Philippine Accessibility Law.

My thanks to Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), Japan Information and Cooperation Agency (JICA), National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) and United Architects(UAP) of the Philippines Committee on Accessibility for allowing me to show A BLIND ARCHITECT with my other films.

(See Page on the right column for more on A BLIND ARCHITECT).