Hip Hop Chicken

As the heat rises from the glowing charcoal the spice infused chicken rotating on skewers begin to fill the air with a tantalizing aroma.  Hip Hop music grabs the attention of passers by and beckons them to try the First Drive-Thru Chicken Stand in Tagbilaran! The lights that line the driveway and canopy rival Las Vegas in the amount of watts being used. At IDEA we strive to offer …

Building a Life

The walls of the classroom echo with excitement as the children scurry around dreaming of what’s possible in their new space.  They’ve taken turns seeing how high up they can leave their footprints on the cement walls. In the town of Sagbayan, Bohol there isn’t enough funding through the public schools to provide adequate classroom space for the                                                                                          children hearing or deaf.  Some …

A Grandmother’s Love

“Forgiving does not erase the bitter past.  A healed memory is not a deleted memory.  Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember.   We change the memory of our past into a hope for our futures. – Lewis B. Smedes   Watching eleven year old Lea as she plays happily with the other children in class and …

Dancing from the Heart

Dao Diamond Staff of Actors By special request the employees of the Dao Diamond held an encore performance of their Christmas Production for our special visitors from Billings, MT and the students at the Bohol Deaf Academy.   Without words the audience was drawn into the drama as scene by scene the group depicted the birth, death and resurrection of Christ.  …

Another Look At Garden Cafe

After 30 years, Garden Cafe located in the heart of Tagbilaran City on the island of Bohol in the Philippines is still going strong.  It continues to employ many deaf adults and support the education program for hundreds of deaf children on both Bohol and Leyte islands.  Here is a short YouTube video about Garden Cafe.

Imported Teacher

IDEA Philippines would like to welcome Scotti Hilbert from Billings, Montana to the island of Bohol.  Scotti has come to volunteer with IDEA for six months and comes with substantial skills in sign language.  IDEA employes nearly 200 deaf and hearing persons in its assisted schools and employment/income generating business. All the hearing staff are require to attain a basic …

Making a Living

Sure Catch Fishing Products is an “Employment / Income Generating Project” (EIGP) of IDEA that was started eight years ago.  This small business is providing jobs for 45 deaf women and one deaf man and is located in the IDEA Livelihood Center in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.  Mostly the group tie fishing flies that are sold in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming …

A Very Bright Future

At 9 years old, Bryan watched his dad climb trees and get honey from the bees.  He thought how brave his father was to face these vicious little creatures that hurt so much when they stung and yet he loved the taste of honey.  But the problem was, Bryan didn’t know the words for father, honey, or bees because he was …

Coming for a visit

After fifteen hours of flight time, hours sitting on the tarmac, sleeping on benches in the Manila airport our latest set of visitors arrived at the Dao Diamond.  These adventurous women, Marianne Rongholt a long time IDEA Board Member,  Deb Canan a past IDEA Board Member, Dona Kabeary, and Scotti Hilbert made the long trek from Billings, MT. With only …

Reymart’s Letter

This a letter Dennis Drake received from Reymart this Christmas.  He is the deaf boy who was told by two doctors that he would soon be blind but with the right kind of help and special contact lenses is now able to see well.