The Philippine National School for the Deaf (PNSD) and Blind (PNSB) in Pasay City has been recognized as an important cultural property during a ceremony on Friday, May 19, at the National Museum of the Philippines.
Pasay Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano expressed her gratitude for letting them maintain the said building since 1907, which has definitely stood the test of time, and vowed to take care of it.
She appreciated the cultural property’s architecture and structure and promised to do her very best to maintain its beauty.
According to Rubiano, the Philippine School for the Deaf, formerly known as the School for the Deaf and Blind, is the first-ever school for the handicapped in the country, emphasizing that it is a semi-residential school and the only government-owned institution offering opportunities for the deaf in the country.
On July 10, 1970, the school became independent through the passage of Republic Act No. 3562, an act to promote the education of the blind in the Philippines.
During the unveiling ceremony, Rubiano was joined by Engr. Albert Paredes, chief of staff to Congressman Antonino Calixto; Nishimura Tokiko, Second Secretary of the Economic Section, Embassy of Japan; Jeremy Barns, Director General of the National Museum Philippines; and Jorell Legaspi, Deputy Director-General for Museums-NMP.
