NLAB School for the Blind

By Leia Castro (Baguio Midland Courier, 2 August 2009)

The Northern Luzon Association for the Blind (NLAB) celebrated its golden anniversary last Wednesday with an ecumenical celebration and program at its newly renovated home along Bokawkan Road.

More than a dozen blind students wowed their visitors with their songs and performances as they thanked the members of NLAB and their sponsors for their continuous support to their education.

“The blind are the most neglected group, I would say, the most disadvantaged group in the country today that is why we continue with the program,” said NLAB vice president Atty. Moises Cating.

As a member of the NLAB for 40 years now, Cating said he chose to stay with the program because he feels fulfilled upon seeing the students “come out of NLAB happy and ready to face the world.”

One such student is Christian Laviste from Villasis, Pangasinan, who aside from being visually impaired has additional learning disabilities. His father initially did not want to send him to the school fearing their separation, but the special education teachers did their best to prove that studying in NLAB was better for the young man.

NLAB president Donna Rosario said that when they first accepted Christian in NLAB he was always spitting out invectives.

“When we took him in, he was very unruly but now he is very obedient,” she said.

The school does not only prepare the children for inclusion in regular schools, it also teaches them basic life skills like proper hygiene and relating with other people.

During the program, Christian sang his rendition of Cuando cuando to the amazement of the audience composed of NLAB supporters, relatives of the children, nuns, government representatives, practicum teachers from St. Louis University, and nursing students from the National University.

Visually impaired teacher Marta Bitaga said that in NLAB, blind people are given hope and if they know that there is help they move forward with their dreams. She said that in return, volunteers in NLAB “find treasures here, like the unfathomable joy of helping blind children.”

The children along with their teachers were overflowing with thanks for the blessings being given even though international funding for the school went down to 30 percent due to the economic recession. “We received many blessings today,” Rosario said of the material gifts of food and clothing for the children during their anniversary.

Also during the program, Rosario repeated her appeal to the city government and concerned authorities to issue and implement demolition orders on two structures that encroached on the NLAB land in Bokawkan. One structure is an apartment-type residential building which comfort room was even built using the wall of the dining area of the blind children.

Meanwhile, an auto-repair shop is using the driveway of NLAB with its clients parking in front of the school. The chemicals and fumes coming from the repair shop are detrimental to the children’s health.

“We are happy here. We only ask that we give some and we take some,” Rosario said, adding that both establishments are even gaining sizeable monthly incomes from using the space which is not rightfully theirs.

The NLAB School recently transferred to their old building in Bokawkan as the owners of the land and building they used to occupy in Atab, Marcos Highway decided to use the place for a church and a regular school.

Source: http://www.baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph/health.asp?mode=%20archives/2009/august/8-2-2009/health1.txt