First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos was recently appointed honorary chairperson of the Sergia Esguerra Memorial Foundation Inc. (SEMFI)-Philippine Institute for the Deaf (PID).
Mrs. Marcos received the title on Tuesday at the Goldenberg Mansion in Malacañang. She also spent a few moments with the foundation’s students, watching them perform in the mansion’s halls.
Afterwards, the First Lady and her guests indulged in a quick bite.
“It was pure joy spending time with the students, teachers, and board members of the Sergia Esguerra Memorial Foundation Inc,” she wrote on social media.
She also expressed her gratitude to SEMFI for awarding her the new title.
“Thank you for the incredible honor of naming me your honorary chairman. Your passion for helping children find their voices — in every way — is so inspiring and deeply moving,” she added.
“I’m truly proud to stand with you and to support your mission of hope, growth, and love for the next generation,” she said.
The SEMFI-PID has been providing avenues for the hearing-impaired to help them continue with their lives.
According to their website, the foundation’s primary focus is to help deaf children learn to listen, talk, read, and succeed in mainstream society.
“Once listening skills are developed, a deaf child can begin to develop speech and language skills that will allow them to communicate in the mainstream,” it said.
SEMFI runs two successful programs: the Philippine Institute for the Deaf, established in 1988, and the Integrated School of the Philippines, launched in 2007.