Volume 6, Issue 4
June 2013
www.discoveringdeafworlds.org
Reflections from PFD’s Secretary-General on the EMPOWER Program
Lintag visits the National Association of the Deaf headquarters in Silver Spring, MD.
Lintag leads a group discussion with EMPOWER workshop participants in Rochester, NY.
Last May, Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD) Secretary-General George Lintag joined a group of 10 other Filipino Deaf community leaders on a three-week cross-cultural exchange program in upstate New York and Washington, D.C. This Professional Fellows EMPOWER Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, was hosted by DDW. Lintag’s work with PFD is critical. Anecdotal evidence indicates that approximately 60% of the 121,000 Deaf people in the Philippines do not go to school, and unemployment among Deaf people is as high as 95%. PFD and its 28 member organizations, with no paid staff and limited funding, struggle to overcome these issues. While rich in creativity, ideas, and passion, Deaf Filipino leaders acknowledge they have difficulty acquiring the skills and resources they need for their organizations to reach full potential, often due to limited communication access in their country. A goal of the EMPOWER Program is to develop the organizational management skills of Deaf Filipino leaders, allowing them to more effectively run their
Deaf advocacy programs back home. Over 45 presenters from 20 institutions in Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo and Washington D.C. provided workshops on strategic planning, disability law, fund development, organizational development, and other relevant topics. Lintag said, “The expert presenters DDW lined up gave me new information and tools to analyze my work with disability law, administration, and communications, and face the challenges in front of me. These sessions broadened my understanding and assisted me with making good decisions.” He continued, “Many presenters were very good and I wasn’t satisfied with a two hour lecture. I wanted them to keep going for one to two days each. I want to learn more!” Many of the presenters were Deaf or used American Sign Language (ASL). Despite the fact that Filipino Sign Language (FSL) and ASL are different languages, the similar foundations in visual language and Deaf culture created an immediate connection between the Filipinos and the Americans. Lintag has worked in advocacy for decades, and has taken numerous workshops. The majority of these June 2013 1