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The Center for Inclusive Education (CIE) experienced several changes at the start of 2017. Mr. Martin Romero joined the team at the start of the year as the second Learning Support Office (LSO) Case Manager. With this background in Educational Psychology and Research, he teamed up with Ms. Nica Mombay to assist students with specific learning needs (SLN).
Aside from this, the members of the team also moved to their new office designed to be a safe space for everyone. Two sound-proofed discussion rooms were constructed to serve as meeting places as well as testing rooms for students with sensory conditions, a space was allotted for students who wish to study and relax, and numerous sensory materials were made available for students to use.
The most noticeable part of the office was the yellow wall with a quote stating “together towards inclusion”. This wall design, wherein the color symbolizes optimism and enlightenment, became CIE’s inspiration with its mission of creating an inclusive environment for Benildeans.
Throughout the year, CIE stayed true to its new motto. The Center engaged with several entities, both inside and outside De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (Benilde) to ensure that everyone was onboard for inclusion.
This started with Dr. Catherine Deen’s benchmark tour to several inclusive institutions in the United States of America (USA) from February 21 to March 4. Under the International Visitor Leadership Program, the USA Government granted Dr. Deen as well as top administrators of Benilde the chance to learn from different USA organizations how inclusion is done. This resulted in the revision of some strategies of CIE as well as Benilde on inclusion.
This was followed by CIE partnering with the General Administrative Services Department (GASD) of Benilde, as well as the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP). Through this partnership, an accessibility audit of Benilde’s three buildings in February and March of 2017 was done. Because of this activity, members of the UAP were able to assess the different needs of Benilde to ensure that their campuses are accessible to persons with disabilities. The suggestions from the architects were taken into consideration and renovations were done in the following years.
CIE also partnered with several groups to promote inclusion. Members of the Center joined the Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP) to raise awareness for autism during the Angels Walk for Autism 2017 in February as well as hosted its first Light It Up Blue event in April. The partnership with ASP also included an exhibit of the artworks of several individuals with autism. Entitled Design, Art, and Autism, the exhibit was headed by Benilde’s Center for Campus Art and lasted from June 15 to August 5.
It was also in this year that an agreement was signed between Benilde and the National Council on Disability Affairs for the latter’s donation of inclusion-related materials to the Learning Resource Center of the College.
Several orientations and workshops were also hosted by CIE to further enrich the quality of inclusion in the community. Passages Orientations were done in August and November for freshmen with SLN and their parents; ENGAGED Talks for Autism, Assistive Technology, and Mental Health were hosted in partnership with the Benilde’s Hub of Innovation for Inclusion in February, July, and October respectively; and a sensitivity training for Blindness and Visual Impairment was done in April.
The first ever Benilde Inclusion Faculty Training was also held this year in partnership with the Center for Instruction, Research, and Curriculum. This three-day training provided the members of the faculty with the skills needed to be more inclusive inside the classroom.
The highlight of the year was when Benilde was awarded the Apolinario Mabini Award for Employer of the Year. This prestigious award is given by the Philippine Government to institutions that embodies the culture of inclusion in terms of employment. CIE, in partnership with several units of the College such as the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies, Center of Institutional Communications, and Human Resource Department spearheaded the preparations of the requirements which ultimately resulted in the College’s win.
The year 2017 is undeniably a year of new highs for CIE. However, the members of the Center experienced a devastating blow when Mr. Tony Mabanes, the LSO Director since August, suddenly passed due to cardiac arrest in October. Though his time with CIE was short, his passion for inclusion serves as an inspiration for the Center up until this day.
