Among the five IDEA dormitories in Bohol, the dorm in the town of Jagna is the only one not situated on the school premises. Students in Jagna walk back and forth between their dorm to get to meals and classes. While the distance to the dorm is not more than 600 meters from the school grounds, walking off campus causes real safety concerns. Students must avoid vehicles, and when it rains, a small river floods the street near the school.
The new Jagna Dormitory keeps students safely on campus just a few steps away from their classrooms. A turn-over and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on the 9th of March, 2018 as the students transferred to their new home. The new dorm is all thanks to our partner organizations – the R.C. Trust, IDEA US, and the NORFIL Foundation who funded the dormitory project, as well as to the local government of Jagna who provided the lot.
In all aspects, this dormitory is as modern as the IDEA dorm in the town of Loon, a calamity-resilient building with accessibility features for Persons with Disability. IDEA’s construction team with Deaf workers built the dorm. The construction features Structural Insulated Panel (Styrofoam panel), an IDEA-led innovation in the Philippines. The new dormitory will allow the campus to grow from 43 students now to 100 students, and the dorm is built to last 100 years. The students’ excitement and comfort in their new home is incomparable.
Take a look on this video of Jagna Special Education Program for the Deaf since 1983.
