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During our intercom training before starting our work placement we was introduced to places such as police, schools, GVSP, and city hall.
On our visit to the police was rather interesting so please read further down the page on their attitude towards to the disability. We visited regional 7police station, there is 157 police stations in Cebu and 7main regional stations. We met a officer who is a community law enforcement officer and gives us a lecture about the police, deaf people, and GVSP. We was told they've set up a project in November 2012 called IPAD ( Information and Police Access for the Deaf), it is a helpline desk for the deaf people but are only available 2hours per day. There is no support for the deaf people such as a interpreter except from the charity organisation called GSVP (the organisation that works with deaf people to prevents abuse, increase awareness and campaigning the rights of deaf people)who are able to fund interpreters when deaf people need it, so basically the police doesn't fund for it but use up the charity. There was few questions amongst us about how do they support the deaf people while they wait for the GVSP- we was told they will have to wait even if it is urgent.
We asked them if they could fight for the rights of deaf people to have their interpreters provided - the officer said she can't just ask the government because they aren't in the political. She also stated that we have to give an evidence to the government that deaf people need the rights and that deaf community have to fight for it.
Also,there is a true story what happened to a blind man in Manila, he was denied his entry into the mall with his guide dog because the malls law said no pet allowed but the officer stated that there is a disability enforcement act on the law in the Philippines so we said it is discrimination and the officer believes it is not because it is the mall have their "policy" What!? Not discrimination!? Mall'a policy!? What about the government law!? Is she joking!? There was a up roaring of arguments amongst me and the UK volunteers whereas the Filipinos volunteer just sat there in silence. It is obviously that the police aren't doing their job properly or follow the law or even realise that the malls are also have broken the Philippines law!
It is clearly that "discrimination" or even "disability enforcement law " means nothing to the Filipinos . I also found out the GVSP are campaigning for the rights of deaf people and they're a ongoing project for Filipinos deaf to "break the silence" so I hope we will be able to achieve this campaign with the GVSP and raises the awareness.
I'm glad we're here because I believe we can change the attitude- we are not trying to but we MUST do it for the sake of Filipinos deaf community and the disability. Our objective for the end of project is for Filipinos to break the silence and spread the awareness into the community so they can out spoken like what uk volunteers would do and changes it. :-)
- comments
Kev stead It's a hard job to change generations of ognorance where it is viewed as acceptable. Keep up the good work
nana phillis at least you are trying babes keep on enjoying your experance xxxx hugs and kisses nana & grandad
Mammy bear Keep trying lea but don't get locked up xx
leannestead I won't haha I could influence on Filipinos to become outspoken instead of closing themselves down so then they could start spread the words around the community when I leave . X