To celebrate World Autism Awareness Day, the Center for Inclusive Education (CIE) and Best Buddies Benilde conducted a lighting ceremony at the three campuses of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) to show support for the welfare of people with autism, while the “Blaze it A-Ok” concert took place at the School of Design and Arts (SDA) theater yesterday, April 2.
The lighting ceremony held at the SDA entrance lobby was headed by Benilde President Br. Dennis “BroDen” Magbanua FSC and Multimedia Arts student Joaquin Batumbakal. Meanwhile, School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM) Faculty Margarita Marty and Theater Arts student Tomas Valderrama led the lighting ceremony at the Angelo King International Center (AKIC) Campus. BroDen and Marty both emphasized the three-word phrase “together towards inclusion” that stressed the importance of inclusive education.
“As an institution, we are one with them [people with autism] in their journey for a barrier-free society,” Marty said.
With the College’s mission into building a just and humane society through inclusion and innovation, the celebration aimed to cater the needs of those who have special disabilities. Furthermore, the lighting ceremony was shown in various colors such as white, blue, green, and orange symbolizing diversity and acceptance towards the spectrum.
“May this gesture of lighting up our school’s facade, not just serve as a decoration, but a way of instilling in our hearts awareness and empathy,” Valderrama emphasized.
In an interview with The Benildean, BroDen clarified that the “Blaze it A-Ok” campaign is not just for awareness, but more of an acceptance campaign. According to him, in addition to the College being an advocate for inclusion, the campaign serves as a commitment to cater students who are part of the spectrum.
“We need to be more accepting, not just aware,” BroDen said. He also praised the Benildean community’s inclusive and accepting environment towards people with disabilities.
After the lighting ceremony, participants headed to the SDA theater for the concert performances by Benilde’s very own Kuya Joey’s, the Office of Culture and Arts (OCA) soul duo Allen and Elle, musical artist Dane Hipolito, and OPM rising star TALA. Alongside the performances, different speakers were given time to inform the audience about autism and the “End the R word” project.
CIE learning support case managers and faculty advisers of Best Buddies Benilde Ms. Nica Mombay and Mr. Martin Romero, along with CIE Research and Advocacy Head Mr. Jeremiah Adriano tackled autism and its misconceptions. Meanwhile, Real Estate Management student Kieran Fanega and Human Resource Management student Maureen Luminario also discussed the “End the R word” project and its pledge for Benildean students to be more sensitive towards individuals with autism and other related disabilities.
World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day that encourages United Stations member states to raise the awareness about people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
