How would you act around a person who's chronically ill? How about a classroom full of students…read morewith chronic conditions? During a period of observations and field work at Silahis ng Kalusugan (School for the Chronically Ill) located inside the Philippine General Hospital Pediatrics Ward, I've learned a handful about dealing with kids who may or may not have time remaining for them in this world. PROS: The idea itself of a school providing education for kids who may not even have the strength to leave their beds is impressive. Does the curriculum, instruction, and content differ from regular schools? Not really, but they apply alternative education mostly because absences are frequent, and the linear and single grade system that work for regular schools don't apply. They take a modular approach where once they finish particular content ("modules"), they move on to the next level. They don't group classes by age level, but by how far he or she is on the module; These kids are a noisy, lively, rowdy bunch and you can't help but be infected by their enthusiasm. While some of these children aren't with us anymore, some are applying for college already. Happy tears. CONS: The state of the school is reflective of PGH and other state hospitals - in dire need of renovations, additional space, and facilities. You just have to hand it to the parents, faculty, administrators, and students for their dedication to getting good education. TL;DR: Silahis ng Kalusugan is this place full of happy children that I had the good fortune of visiting and getting to know. It's a good place to visit or even frequent as a volunteer. PRO TIP: Interested in volunteering but you're worried that you can't teach? These kids love PARTIES! Throw a Jollibee/Mcdo party and the teachers will be glad to help with suggestions of fun and safe games they could play (Pinoy Henyo is always a hit), and make sure you prep in advance for possible allergies or exam schedules.

Kudos to PGH and all the people behind the continues success of Silahis ng Kalusugan School for the…read moreChronically Ill! May God bless you and the children!

As a special education practitioner, I've had the good fortune of experiencing what it's like…read moreworking under ChildFind Learning and Play Center. Children with special needs and their families go through a lot, and it's good that centers like this exist to back them up. PROS: ChildFind Learning and Play Center is headed by Dr. Edilberto Dizon, one of the leading experts in special education in the country; They offer a variety of services, from assessments and diagnosis, early intervention, therapy, tutorial services, shadow teaching, to behavior coaching and beyond; The staff are quite pleasant and eager to help. They are very capable in answering all your questions about providing services to people with special needs. CONS: The center's space itself is pretty cramped. It's roughly the same size as two studio condo units put together. Good thing that most of their services are done outside of the headquarters. TL;DR: Having a family member with special needs may sound difficult, but having ChildFind aid you in taking the first steps in understanding and dealing with it makes it easier.

I came here for the Japanese Film Festival to watch a free movie and was worried it might be…read morepacked. I got off the public transport at the UP Oval and walked here - enjoyed the breeze while walking under the shade of the trees. People in UP are generally helpful with directions. I miss my university days! The theatre was big and the seats were comfortable. It was also cold inside and security guards checked bags upon entry. My trip to this part of Metro Manila took about an hour and a half from Makati but it was well worth it.

I've been to the UP Film Institute during the 6th Brazilian Film Festival, organized by the UP…read moretogether with the Embassy of Brazil. I had the opportunity to met and talk with some professors and I got really impressed with their intelligence and enthusiasm. Students also seemed to be excited with the festival and were very engaged in the Q&A sessions after the exhibitions. What I like about the UP Film Institute is that they are always promoting workshops, seminars and other cultural activities, specially at Cine Adarna, the 800-seat university cinema located at the same building. I consider Adarna a great alternative to multiplex cinemas spread all over the malls. So if you want to go beyond the mainstream and check what's being produced here in the Philippines, just take a look at their events calendar. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the classes! UP Film Institute offers high-quality courses for both undergraduate and master's degrees : )

Resources for the Blind, Inc. (RBI) delivers educational services for children and people with…read morevisual impairment and we had the pleasure of visiting the place back in college. PROS: RBI provides trainings and seminars not just for Special Ed practitioners but for anyone or any group who wants awareness and sensitivity trainings in dealing with people with visual impairment. I've experienced one of the best and insightful trainings here as well, with straightforward advice and workshops that are both perceptive and entertaining without being preachy; I'm fairly impressed by the materials they provide; Their area if fairly spacious, cool, and comfortable; You can purchase some of their materials like the slate and stylus, and braille paper. CONS: They're located in the fourth and fifth floor of a building that doesn't have an elevator. Would this be a problem for their clientele? Not really they're just as smart as physically able people, and there are guides on the steps anyway. Would this be a problem for overweight, wheezy people like me? Yes, but I just need to suck it up and get back in shape. TL;DR: Recommended for every person with visual impairment who may need educational services, or everyone else who wants to learn how to be better humans towards those who are blind or with low vision.

I graduated from this school in the year 2000 (Banawe-Maria Clara). Yes, we do have physical…read moredisabilities, but we were trained to overcome our physical limitations. The curriculum is not different from any public schools in the country. In fact our teachers trains students to compete in Special Olympics. I agree with the other commenter that it doesn't sound right for a school that works amazingly well to level the plane to erase the stigma towards children with disabilities to have the word "Cripple" in its name, but I guess in the 1960's when it was founded, if I remember right, people were not easily offended, nor was it meant to offend. Other than that I'm NOH-SCC was a big part of my happy childhood.

As part of our field work, we were able to visit a school for children with physical disabilities -…read moreNational Orthopedic Hospital - School for Crippled Children. PROS: Content and curriculum speaking, NOH-SCC isn't that too different from other public schools. They have special adjustments when it comes to PE and they're not too strict when it comes to attendance, since a lot of the students have frequent and emergency health appointments; I like that despite the regular curriculum, the school has a small class size that helps the children and teachers interact more fully; They have some open spaced and structural adjustments like ramps. CONS: Calling a person with a physical disability a "cripple" isn't politically correct, and having the word in the name of the school itself makes me uncomfortable; For a school that's has lots of children with mobility issues, the classrooms are pretty tiny. TL;DR: NOH-SCC is one of the public special schools in Metro Manila that has it better in class sizes and facilities.

Was still 16 at that time and I had just received my learner's permit from the LTO. I knew how to…read moreturn on a car's engine and I knew how to release the parking brake. Aside from that, I had no other driving experience. I tried to learn with our car but I was afraid that I didn't have enough experience and knowledge to drive it and I might get into an accident. That's when my mom told me to enroll myself into a driving school, maybe just for a few days; just so I get the hang of it. The people at their office was very friendly. Their prices were also okay, given that it was a driving school. I first had to attend a pre-driving orientation. It was okay, the room was air-conditioned and the speaker was somehow entertaining. The lessons were great. The instructor really knew about teaching people how to drive. And for added safety, he had his own brake in the passenger's seat. He guided me through every corner and every turn. He taught me the basics like parking, u-turns, reversing, turning, driving in highways and all the other things you'd need to know before driving. After about three or four sessions, I was already a confident driver. I still had to wait for a few months thought but the lessons really helped.

I first tried to learn how to drive using our own car at home with my mother. And if you've ever…read moreexperienced learning how to drive with any family member teaching you at the passenger's side you're in for quite the struggle. The screaming approach and giving of directions with curse words attached to it isn't the ideal driving experience I hoped for. And finally my mom realized it wasn't the best idea either and finally enrolled me at SMART Driving. The lessons here are great because they provide both practical and theoretical lessons. SMART Driving provides an orientation, lecture, and the main driving lesson. The instructors at SMART are super nice and friendly, making everything feel very casual and will not have you panicking the entire lesson. They also assure safety because the instructors have a brake available in their side of the car so if you panic they've got your back.