Making noise in silence deaf runners want their 'voices' heard by joining Milo Marathon Cebu leg

CEBU, Philippines - They may not be able to hear and talk, but they ran to convey a strong message to the rest - do not discriminate the deaf people because just like anybody else, they are also of big worth and value to the society where they belong.

Such was the battlecry of a group of at least 60 deaf college students from the Cebu Technological University (CTU) who bravely hit the streets in the midst of slight drizzle last Sunday to join nearly 22,000 runners that transformed the city's main throroughfares into an evergreen landscape during the record-establishing Cebu leg of the 36th National Milo Marathon.

They are not all Cebuanos as some of them hail from different parts of the country but they are united for a common goal here in the Queen City of the South, with CTU being the first institution of learning to offer formal college education to Filipinos with hearing disabilities.

For differently-abled individuals like them, taking part in running events is not new but the Milo Marathon has a special place in their hearts being the biggest, the longest-existing and best-organized in the nation's sports history.

In fact a few years ago, a school for the hearing impaired participated and fortunately won the cheerdance competition, which has been a distinct feature of Milo Marathon's provincial qualifying in Cebu.

This time, they came in large number with hopes of getting noticed and their ‘voices” be heard.

In the entire Philippines particularly in Cebu, there is no much awareness about deaf people, according to Lindley Saladaga, a special education instructor of CTU and an advocate for equal human rights for the deaf people. He added that there is no proper avenue for them to air their side and more often they are have been a subject of discrimination.

Saladaga pointed out that even the Philippine Sports Association for the Differently-Abled (PHILSPADA) does not include the deaf individuals in its sports program, only the blind ones.

In an exclusive interview with The Freeman, Saladaga said there is not much interpreter for the deaf around that he had to “rescue” them.

“We need to be educated, to learn more on sign language and the likes. Lalim ka for example, naay mag-kuha og license sa PRC or an exam, when I help them (students), ingnan kag cheating kay gitudluan daw nako when all I’m doing is interpret the instructions for them,” Saladaga lamented.

And last Sunday's event was no exception. Saladaga acted as an interpreter on stage when an announcement was made so his disciplines could understand what the emcee was talking about.

Saladaga said that hopefully, what he did in the Milo Marathon will not be left unnoticed.

“In other countries that I have visited, there is a platform for interpreters so that whatever a speaker say during a forum or whatever, the deaf can understand,” he said.

Cebu leg organizer Ricky Ballesteros, for his part, welcomes the idea of having an interpreter on stage in the next edition of the annual conclave of fitness enthusiasts bankrolled by Nestle Philippines.

“Why not? That’s a good idea. We welcome them here and we don’t want them to feel being discriminated,” Ballesteros said.

In its entirety, the Milo Marathon is not simply a running event. Aside from breaking language and cultural barriers, it also bring positive changes to people's lives.

Testament to that is the 'special' class of deaf runners. They may not be able to hear anything such as the lively music being played around the area, but they got to enjoy every single moment of the event by mingling with other runners and took pictures with them. More importantly, they take pride for being part of another historic episode in the annals of Milo Marathon. (FREEMAN)