Each year, we invite students at the Philippine Institute for the Deaf (PID) to join us for our meetings. And on those occasions that the club is graced by their presence, those amazing deaf students would try their very best to express their gratitude for our unyielding support in words that most of us would strain to understand. But their messages of thanks, even the dreams they share, are both resonant and clear and almost invariably tug at the heartstrings of those in attendance. These are touching moments that have happened year after year since 1994 for 30 years now.
This yearly ritual of sharing and gratitude again transpired last September 10, during the Club’s luncheon meeting at the Peninsula Manila. Ethan Rivera, one of RC Makati’s scholars, addressed the members and guests as part of the program. During the same event, the Club turned over P950,000.00 to support the scholarships of 19 deaf and needy students. Representing the Club were Pres. Keith Harrison, Dir. Rodrigo Segura, and PP Cesar Campos, who serves as the Committee Chairman for the project. Ms. Julie Esguerra, PID’s President and Executive Director, graciously received the donation on behalf of the school.
The amount will cover 50% of the tuition fees for the learners, as well as individualized one-on-one speech therapy sessions for each scholar. In this long-standing partnership between RC Makati and PID , our Club has made substantial contributions to PID’s mission of teaching deaf children to communicate using the spoken language rather than traditional hand signals. The club’s first project with PID involved the setting up of a classroom equipped with a group hearing aid system. Since then, RCM has continuously supported the school by securing a TRF grant for auditory and speech development equipment, providing scholarships, and contributing to the students’ annual musical programs.
Currently, six of the club’s scholars are participating in PID’s Immersion Program, fulfilling their on-the-job training requirements for graduation, as mandated by the Department of Education. They are set to complete this training by February 2025, returning to school for graduation in March. Meanwhile, the remaining 13 students would continue their academic journey at PID courtesy of the ongoing support provided by the Teach the Deaf to Speak Program.
RCM’s dedication to empowering the hearing-impaired has allowed many students to transition into mainstream schools, graduate from college, find employment, and even return to PID as faculty members, highlighting the transformative impact of this project.
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