Best Buddies Benilde (BBB)—an organization that fosters inclusivity and one-to-one friendships among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities—alongside Benilde’s Center for Inclusive Education (CIE), will hold Inclusion Week 2024 from Mar. 11 to Mar. 15, which will feature seminars, workshops, a sports festival, and a drag culture event.

After a long stint of celebrating Inclusion Week online and in hybrid formats, it is finally being held fully face to face once again. With the theme “Celebrating Diversity: Unlocking Minds and Fulfilling Hearts”' BBB and CIE aim to spread awareness of inclusivity and empower Benilde’s diverse community by embodying sensitivity and promoting open-mindedness.

In an interview with The Benildean, CIE’s OIC Director and BBB’s Adviser, Mr. Martin Romero, shared his enthusiasm for the different activities which were organized by the organization’s members, “We want to celebrate the diversity we have here in Benilde. When you see the schedule of our events, [it is] mostly providing awareness on certain conditions and certain communities that we have here in Benilde.”

Mar. 11 marks the opening ceremony, coinciding with the start of the sportsfest. Mr. Jeremiah Adriano, the Inclusion Advocacy Unit Head of CIE, will conduct a Sensitivity Talk in The Loop on the 12/F of the Design and Arts Campus. The second day will feature a Deaf Awareness workshop followed by an afternoon Mental Health Talk and Art Therapy session. The third day will host a seminar on inclusion in student life, including an open forum for sharing Benildean inclusion stories. On the fourth day, the Black Box Theater on the 6/F of the Design and Arts Campus will host a drag event, offering a fresh perspective on drag culture. Finally, on Mar. 15, the closing ceremony will include a concert and the presentation of awards to the sportsfest winners.

Ms. Samantha Reyes, the event head for Inclusion Week and BBB’s Vice President for Internals, shared in an interview with The Benildean their goals for this year's Inclusion Week. “We want to embody sensitivity and promote open-mindedness by continuously educating individuals and giving a platform to diverse people for them to showcase their talents, skills, and capabilities.”

In addition, this year’s Inclusion Week is in conjunction with the celebration of Benilde’s 35th Year Anniversary. As inclusion stands to be one the school’s core identity, its significance is further highlighted through this celebration. 

“We’re excited to invite the Benildean community to this year’s Inclusion Week. I know that we lost a lot of time during the pandemic… Now we’re mostly face to face and we now have the sports fest, which I’m really excited [...],” Mr. Romero added.

He concluded by saying, “Being inclusive is part of the DNA of being a Benildean, that’s why we’re very excited about it!”

Students may register for the events through this link. For more updates, you can view Best Buddies Benilde’s Instagram page and the Center for Inclusive Education’s Facebook page.