Philippines - Suzette
Suzette, who is hearing impaired, worked with a school for hearing impaired children.
Getting Around
The main form of public transportation—a jeepney. Jeepneys are used all over Tacloban City and for transport to the villages surrounding the city. They are open in the back, so people can just get in and ride then get off anytime they want. Of course, they get off after they pay for the ride.
Getting Around Downtown
This is the other main public transportation used in Tacloban City, but mainly downtown. The driver drives the motorcycle on the right side of the vehicle while the passengers ride in that carriage on the left side of the vehicle.
My Host Family
These are my host family’s children. They are giving each other a piggy back ride. They were always a pleasure to watch and the host family and people around the community were very friendly and welcoming.
My Students
These are the deaf students of grade 5 and 6 in the SPED (Special Education) school. I taught there from Grade 1 to 6 with deaf students. The kids were enjoying the camera moments during their break.
Students Playing with Camera
On another day in SPED, where the kids are experimenting with the camera. They always showed up daily filled with enthusiasm and smiles on their faces.
Graduation Performance
These are some kids performing a dance at the Grade 6 graduation ceremony. In this one, they mainly put spotlight on the movement of their fans.
Boys Graduation Dance
Another dancing performance by young boys. They were acting like ninjas, using the wood sticks as their main tools of the whole dancing performances.
Graduating Class
This is the whole grade 6 graduation class. The ceremony itself lasted for almost five hours.
Golisano Center
This is the outside view of Golisano Center. It is like a mini mall. It contains several fast food restaurants, several clothes shops, several technology stores, and a full supermarket place.
Be My Valentine
This is inside the Golisano Center with other deaf people. The places tend to be decorated elaborately for every holiday like in this one; it is for Valentine’s Day. I would meet up with the deaf people after school to hang out.
Sign Language Class
These are hearing kids who took my sign language tutorial at the volunteer center. They all always show up all excited and ready to learn sign language!
Making Lumpia
Some of the other volunteers and I made lumpia. It is popular Filipino food – often used as a snack or part of the meal. We prepared it before we headed out to visit a waterfall.
Jump!
Some of the kids from the volunteer center and other volunteers and I went to the beach. Most of the kids don’t really know how to swim so we, the volunteers, showed them how to. We made sandcastles, and in this photo, we jumped for the camera.
San Juanico Bridge
This is the San Juanico Bridge. It is the longest bridge in the Philippines. It is 1.34 miles, and it has a great overlook with a view of the mountain and the bay leading to the ocean.
Fresh Coconut!
One day I went on a tour of a rainforest with other volunteers. We had a guide who climbed to fetch us fresh coconuts. We, the volunteers, got the chance to drink the juice and eat the white meat inside. The fresh coconut was very good!
Children's Day
This day was the children’s activities day hosted by the volunteer staff. It took place at a basketball court right next to the volunteer center. The kids were trying to destroy the pot so the candy trapped inside will fall out.
Line It Up
One activity was to split the children into two groups. Then each group had to use their own articles of clothing like sandals, shirts, belt, etc to make a line. The group who makes the longest line wins.
Musical Chairs
Another activity was musical chairs. There was one chair less than the number of children who were playing. The speaker in the middle of the circle sang a song and it gave some hint that the kids have to race and get a chair of their own. The one who doesn’t have a chair is eliminated, it continued until they were down to one chair. The last person who sits on the chair wins.
Coronation
This is a pageant contest of the local residents. In the end, the judges awarded each couple. In the middle are the king and queen.
Birthday Party Feast!
Typical Filipino food that they serve at party, festivals, or gatherings. This was from one of volunteer staff’s sister’s birthday party at the beach. The most common foods served were pork, fish, lots of rice, noodles, lasagna, potato, and of course cake!
