18th Philippine Catholic Congress on Deafness set in Bikol

The 18th Philippine Catholic Congress on Deafness (PCCD) will be held at the Pili, Capitol Convention Centre on November 23-26 with the theme “WE  CARE: Creating an Enabling & Inclusive Environment for the Deaf.”
Initiated in 1989 by Fr. Luke Mootgard, the Executive Secretary of the Health and Handicap Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines then, the annual Philippine Catholic Congress on Deafness is a gathering where insights and stories of the delegates are shared with other members of deaf organizations coming from the entire country.
The congress will focus on the issue of accessibility to promote an enabling and inclusive environment for the deaf and expect that the delegates from different sectors will become partners in creating an inclusive and enabling environment for the deaf.
This is the first time that the PCCD will be held and organized in Bikol. It coincides with the 100th death anniversary of Venerable  Joseph Gualandi, founder of the Sisters of the Little Missions for the Deaf, religious congregation of sisters and brothers who takes care of the hearing impaired.
The SLMD and St. Francis de Sales Hearing Impaired Foundation, Inc. Naga City Chapter hosts the congress with more than 400 participants coming from different parts of the country. The participants are composed of DHH (deaf and hard of hearing individuals), LGUs, doctors, SPED teachers, service providers and parents. Incidentally, SLMD conducts a two-hour sign language classes every Saturday, 9:00-11:00 AM at the Gualandi Center to anyone interested. In the meantime, one of the keynote speakers for this year is Leeanne Seaver, M.A., a mother of three. Her eldest son is profoundly deaf. She is the Executive Director for Hands & Voices Foundation, Illinois USA. Another speaker is Cherryl DeConde Johnson, Ed.D, who is currently employed as a supervisor with the Exceptional Student Services Unit of the Colorado Department of Education where she oversees services for low-incidence disabilities including the areas of deaf and hard of hearing disabilities. She is also raising a daughter with hearing loss. Local speakers on the other hand will discuss the state of the art in deaf advocacy, systems and trends, the Biwako Millenium Framework, Protection and Freedom Rights and educational rights for the deaf in the Philippines. PCCD Consultant, Veronica Ester “Boots” Mendoza will facilitate the event.The 18th PCCD is fully supported by the Most Reverend Leonardo Z. Legaspi, the Archbishop of Caceres, the National Council for Welfare for Persons with Disabilities, the Liliane Foundation Philippines- the special foundation for the children with disabilities in developing countries. Meanwhile, the Couples for Christ-Camarines Sur and Knights of Columbus will serve as foster parents for DHH participants. Governor LRay Villafuerte and the provincial government of Camarines Sur also support the said congress.