Hapee owner says the deaf can ‘hear’

[Smithtr]

If college graduates of lesser-known universities are having a tough time finding jobs, what chance does the deaf have?

Not much, but at least one evangelical group whose deacon happens to have a thriving business fighting a giant in the toothpaste business is sincerely trying.

When Cecilio Pedro started the biggest gamble of his life about 20 years ago trying to get a share of the toothpaste market dominated by Colgate, his Lamoiyan Corp. employed a few hearing-impaired persons.

Pedro, chairman of the Deaf Evangelical Foundation (DEAF), knew he had to help the deaf by example. So when he started making Hapee toothpaste, he employed several of the hearing-impaired.

Today, out of around 300 employees, more than half are deaf – educated deaf. Pedro, also deacon of the United Evangelical Church of the Philippines, has helped set up three schools for the deaf. One is located in Cavinti, Laguna; there is another in Palawan, and one more in another province.

Cavinti is the center of most activities.

All three schools for the deaf have a total of more than 1,000 students – some trying to earn a college degree, some just learning to read, and few more being taught rudimentary ways to survive in spite of hearing impairment.

It has taken 25 long years for DEAF to acquire 87 hectares of land in Cavinti, Laguna. The place is the last a normal person would dare travel to. But it is the challenge to those with serious hearing impairment. The students of the school for the deaf in Cavinti had converted the area. The campus, reachable by crossing a lake and hiking 3.5 kilometers up, now abounds with fruit trees planted by the deaf students.

Patches of vegetation is the source of fresh food. The students themselves build their own classrooms, dormitories and furniture purposely designed to blend with nature.

Education is at all levels, from basic school to college. A pamphlet of DEAF says “beyond classroom, students keep themselves busy working on the fishpond, in rice paddies, poultry and swine projects and vegetable gardens.”

Official records show there are about 400,000 deaf-mutes in the Philippines. Only about 35,000 get some form of education. The school in Cavinti can only take 150 students.

The situation bothers Pedro a lot. He believes that the differently-abled should also have a chance at life like normal educated people.

But how can that happen when the normal and highly educated themselves find it hard to make a living by getting a job? “There are ways,” he told Malaya Business Insight.

God, he said, looks at everybody with the same eyes. But he pointed out that kind souls should be more sympathetic and loving to the infirmed.

Helping the helpless seems to be the philosophy of his religious belief as a deacon of United Evangelical. He said he has been richly rewarded with inner happiness.

Hapee owner says the deaf can

 

[JMH]

It would be nice if they remove "deaf-mutes" and replace it to deaf or hearing impaired people. :roll:

I'm glad that he gave a huge chance for those deaf people to work. I found myself lot challenge on finding a job around here - many of job interviews I had showed that they are lot more skeptical on hiring deaf people to work in their warehouses, especially drive forklift. I had to assure them that there is no concern on my safety due to my 20 years experience in warehouse (plus driving forklift).

I applaud Cecilio Pedro for giving them a chance to work.

 

[Bebonang]

It would be nice if they remove "deaf-mutes" and replace it to deaf or hearing impaired people. :roll:

I'm glad that he gave a huge chance for those deaf people to work. I found myself lot challenge on finding a job around here - many of job interviews I had showed that they are lot more skeptical on hiring deaf people to work in their warehouses, especially drive forklift. I had to assure them that there is no concern on my safety due to my 20 years experience in warehouse (plus driving forklift).

I applaud Cecilio Pedro for giving them a chance to work.

Er, it is the "hearing impaired" that need to remove along with "deaf-mute". It is better to use the term of wording for deaf and/or hard of hearing.

Yes, it is hard to find a job that would help us as long as we have accommodations to make the workplace accessible to what we need to understand with either the clients or employees or employers.

 

[JMH]

Oh, pardon me... I'm not a Pro-Deaf person.