PSD NOW A MODERN HUB FOR DEAF LEARNERS
THE Philippine School for the Deaf (PSD) senior high school laboratory building has been rehabilitated by the Henry Sy Foundation and SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI) in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd) Pasay City Schools Division Office and the Pasay City government to strengthen the capabilities of learners enrolled in the institution.
Established in 1907, PSD, located at 2620 F. Harrison Street, Pasay City, has a long history of providing educational opportunities for deaf students.
As the only government-owned institution for the deaf in the country, it is essential in empowering individuals with hearing impairments and fostering their inclusion in society.
Years of dedicated use had taken its toll on PSD’s facilities, leaving them in need of significant refurbishment. This was particularly true for the senior high school laboratory building, which was in dire need of rehabilitation.
“Our challenges include the rehabilitation, major repairs, and maintenance of the school facilities and buildings. Because of these, what our learners can do is limited. The teachers cannot really maximize the tasks and activities they gave to the students,” PSD principal Shery Funcion said.
“Before the rehabilitation, alongside other challenges, we had issues with the ventilation and the lighting inside the senior high school laboratory building. Because it’s hot and dark, teachers had a hard time making effective and efficient instruction,” she added.
Through social good collaboration, the Henry Sy Foundation and SMFI ensured that the infrastructural limitations of the past were replaced with modern learning spaces specifically designed for practical subjects like dressmaking, electronics, chemistry and information technology.