Bayan Family of Foundations, Benilde advance opportunities for the deaf

MANILA, Philippines — The Bayan Family of Foundations (BFF) and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) entered into a strategic partnership geared toward inclusive education to empower deaf individuals, provide and create pathways for sustainable employment.

BFF is an ecosystem of development institutions committed to build positive social change by supporting social enterprises. Bayan Academy, one of its four core foundations, offers comprehensive entrepreneurship, management and education training programs.

The mutual pursuit was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of understanding between BFF and DLS-CSB. It seeks to foster entrepreneurship training and capacity-building programs for the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies students, faculty, alumni and associates.

BFF president and CEO Carlo Sagun and Bayan Academy executive director Vivienne Leigh de Guzman represented the organization. DLS-CSB vice chancellor for Academics Angelo Marco Lacson and SDEAS Dean Marian Patricia Bea Francisco inked the deal for the college.

“There is a saying that ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,’” Francisco said.

“This is the same principle why we are pushing for this partnership: to ensure we cultivate an environment where deaf students and graduates are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to become entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders who contribute meaningfully to society,” she said.

The initiative will explore enterprise prospects for both parties through experiential learning activities and immersion. BFF and Benilde likewise look forward to holding entrepreneurship and skills development workshops and seminars.

Knowledge exchange, cooperative research, institutional learning, joint project development and community programs for the deaf are among the other areas of collaboration the two institutions are considering.