New School Year

June Sixth Marks The Beginning of a New School Year Each May we survey the mountains on the islands of Bohol and Leyte for deaf children who have never been in school.  The survey only lasts a week and is carried out by the teachers.  This means they spend many hours riding on the back of motorcycles into the most …

Christmas in June

Samaritan’s Purse Gifts for IDEA Deaf Students httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs114qH-Q4c The gift giving was probably actually meant to happen in December of 2010 but a 40 foot shipping container full of  “Gifts in a Shoe Box” from Samaritan’s Purse got held up in Philippine Customs.  With the final release of the container van, we got a last minute notice that some of …

2011 BDA GRADUATES: VISIONS OF TOMORROW

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9u44f3fmz0 Graduation is always a celebration for every student. It is a time when all of your family and friends gather and congratulate you with well wishes for the future. But when you happen to be deaf and a graduate, there is more reason to celebrate. In a country where deaf awareness is still a work in progress, not all …

Great Start in Southern Leyte

ON OUR WAY Recently, Dennis Drake, Founder of IDEA, and three staff members from IDEA Philippine’s main office took a 3 hour road trip and 4 hour ferry boat trip from Bohol to visit the one year old IDEA program in Southern Leyte. IDEA began working with the Department of Education in 2010 and there has already been a marked …

HEARING AIDS FOR BOHOL

A Better Fit Dr. Doug Clutton and wife Valerie recently returned from a prolonged stay in Canada to the Philippines after having  previously spent many years working as missionaries with the Deaf in Manila.  They have now moved to the city of Bacolod on the island of Negros and again are serving as missionaries to the Deaf working mainly in …

The lights are on in Bohol

Power Problem Solved As IDEA strives to provide employment for more and more deaf men and women on the island of Bohol, it runs into some unexpected problems.  We are approaching the end of the second phase expansion of IDEA’s livelihood and income project known as Dao Diamond Hotel in Tagbilaran City.  Through this effort we have been able to …

AN IDEA STYLE CHRISTMAS 2010

Christmas arrived a few days early for IDEA Philippine’s deaf children.  Because we don’t have a sleigh or snow, on December 14th  IDEA’s office staff loaded up our red van with a mountain of gifts to take to all the IDEA supported deaf centers around the island of Bohol.  There was some doubt as to whether they could fit all …

Dennis Drake: Shining at Sixty

Dennis Drake: Shining at Sixty Last November 29, while the entire Philippines was celebrating Bonifacio Day, one of its national heroes, the IDEA Philippines family also had another reason to party. And that was the 60th birthday of our dear founder George Dennis Drake, our own hero! Without any clue as to what was happening on that special day, Dennis …

A Matter of the Spirit

Mission Accomplished Veronica Dunnington and daughter Tiffany completed their stay in Bohol on December 9th.  Veronica was tasked with adding new life and direction for the Tiptip Deaf Church and she dedicated 2 ½ months toward this purpose. As Veronica looks at the progress of these past months she comments that the deaf community of Tagbilaran, several hundred strong, are …