Nicanora, a mother of a deaf student who graduated senior high school from Bohol Deaf Academy (BDA) on May 31, 2024, had the opportunity to share their story during the graduation ceremony.
As a mother of three deaf children, she used to worry about their future. Other people used to mock them because they were deaf, and it hurt her. She had previously enrolled her children in a regular school, but she was advised to transfer them to a school for the deaf. She had only heard of the Sagbayan Special Education (SPED) Center at the time, but it was too far away from home and they couldn’t afford the daily costs of taking the kids to school, so it remained a dream. Fortunately, a teacher from Sagbayan SPED Center visited them one day. That was the beginning of their life-changing story.
Joan and Janice, the older deaf daughters, graduated senior high school from BDA in June 2023, and both of them were recently hired as housekeeping staff at The Bellevue Resort, a five-star resort in Bohol. The youngest child, John Lee, also graduated from senior high school in May 2024.
Nicanora was indeed happy and proud of their achievements, and she’s grateful for how education has helped her children become valuable members of the society.
“We are glad that our deaf children were able to go to school because we’ve seen great improvements in their personalities. They’re no longer shy, and they learned good manners. I can’t contain my happiness and gratitude for the generous assistance of IDEA, Sagbayan SPED Center, and the sponsors who supported our students, as well as the Bohol Deaf Academy teachers and staff who cared for our children,” she said.
