Voices of Silence

Episode on June 2, 2008 Monday night after Saksi This Monday night, I-Witness host Sandra Aguinaldo enters the silent world of the hearing disabled. Sign language has been around for so long, many assume everyone with a hearing disability knows how to speak it. But the reality is, sign language is used only by those who can afford formal schooling. The thousands of hearing impaired Filipinos who belong to impoverished families rarely learn to sign. They are the subject of Sandra’s upcoming documentary. Left to create their own version of sign language, they can be understood only by their loved ones. Even other deaf persons cannot communicate with them. Niño Miano of Bohol was born with a hearing disability. His parents could not afford to send him to a special school. At 11, he is forced to function as the family househelp. An NGO that supports the deaf is willing to send Niño to the city to learn sign language. But will his parents allow him to live so far away from home? Niño’s present is remarkably similar to Chris Mendoza’s past. Chris never learned sign language. On his first day in a regular elementary school, he was bullied by his classmates and decided to drop out. Now 28, Chris is unable to follow his mother and siblings to Italy. When he applied for a visa, the Embassy did not believe he was deaf because he could not speak proper sign language! Deaf couple Josie and Sandy Ching immediately sought a cochlear implant for their son John when they discovered that he too had a hearing disability. The operation would give him the ability to hear through the microchip implanted in his ears. But the procedure costs over one million pesos, much more unreachable for the poor than sign language school. The struggles and triumphs of the hearing disabled in the face of poverty will be heard in “Voices of Silence" (“Tinig ng mga Tahimik") airing Monday late night over GMA-7’s I-Witness. The documentary is written and hosted by New York Festivals Gold and Silver Medalist Sandra Aguinaldo.

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Nakabibinging katahimikan. Ito marahil ang pinaka-angkop na deskripsyon para sa napakahirap na buhay ng mga taong ipinapanganak na pipi’t bingi. Bagama’t may mangilan-ngilan nang eskuwelahan para sa mga taong hindi nakaririnig, hindi lahat ay may kakayahang makapag-aral ng sign language. Karamihan, dumidiskarte lang at gumagawa ng sariling signs para maipahayag ang kanilang saloobin. Sa espesyal na dokumentaryo ni Sandra Aguinaldo ngayong Lunes, makikilala niya ang ilan sa mga kababayan nating pipi’t bingi na walang anumang pormal na edukasyon sa sign language pero patuloy na nakikipagsabayan sa ingay ng mundo at hinaharap ang hirap ng pang-araw-araw nilang buhay. Si Niño Miano, isang labing-isang gulang na bata sa Bohol, naging katulong na lang sa bahay dahil hindi siya kayang pag-aralin sa special school ng kanyang mga magulong. May isang NGO sa lunsod na nais tumulong kay Niño, pero papayagan ba siyang umalis mag-isa ng kanyang mga magulang? Ganoon din ang pinagdaanan ni Chris Mendoza noong siya’y bata pa. Nang minsang pumasok sa paaralan, naranasan niyang mabato ng mga kaklase, kaya nagdesisyon na lang na hindi mag-aral. Ang ina at mga kapatid ni Chris, pawang nasa Italy na. Pero hindi siya makasunod sa kanila. Nang mag-apply si Chris ng visa … hindi siya pinaniwalaang tunay na bingi ng Embassy dahil hindi niya alam ang pormal na sign language! Dinggin ang kuwentong buhay nina Niño at Chris at ng iba pang tulad nila sa “Tinig ng mga Tahimik", kasama ang New York Festivals Gold at Silver Medalist na si Sandra Aguinaldo, ngayong Lunes ng hatinggabi sa I-Witnῆess.