Joross and Glenda have been very excited for August to come. Both of them spent their weekends searching for the best traditional Filipino attire to wear for their school culmination activity during the National Language Month celebration. Joross and Glenda are both in the 7th grade and this was their first opportunity to participate in such a celebration with other high school Deaf students at Bohol Deaf Academy (BDA). They knew it would be an enjoyable day.
In the Philippines, August is designated as Buwan ng Wika (National Language Month) which is celebrated to promote Filipino, the national language, as well as Philippine culture and traditions. Every year, it is one of the most highly-anticipated events in the country.
On August 29, 2017, BDA culminated the month-long celebration with a day of fun and challenging activities. To challenge students, BDA organized a Quiz competition and Spelling Bee for every grade level. For our students, writing in the Filipino language is challenging because English is their primary written language. Still, our students eagerly put in the work to learn Filipino and made a great showing at the competitions. The winners for the Quiz were: Mariesil Orcullo – Grade 7, Jolly Ann Divinagracia – Grade 8, Alberto Besinga – Grade 9, and Stephanie Lluvido – Grade 10. For the Spelling Bee the champs were: Janice Capuno – Grade 7, Winwin Socorin – Grade 8, Aira Jane Luminarias – Grade 8, and William Madelo – Grade 10.
Aside from the scholastic games, the students enjoyed traditional Filipino games. Paluan ng Palayok (hit the pot), Karang (racing with coconut shell under each foot), and Palaro sa harina (flour game) were just some of the activities. As a bonus, everyone had a fun snack during the “boodle fight” where students ate food off a table with their hands while standing shoulder to shoulder in the Fillipino military practice.
The students also made a great effort to wear traditional Filipino dress. BDA teachers recognized the most beautifully dressed and confident students with the title “Lakan at Lakambini” (Chieftain and Muse). The awardees were: 1st place – Joross Manuales and Yoshabelle Romero, 2nd place – Jemuel Jamero and Glenda Ayop, 3rd place – Alberto Besinga and Lorraine Mae Tuyor, 4th place – John Albert Elivera and Cheryl Wahing, 5th place – Eric Besinga and Rose Jane Luminarias.
A shout out to BDA for the successful celebration and great job in promoting the Filipino culture!
