A lot of Filipino children are bright and naturally gifted, yet, some of them are unfairly labeled as “slow learners” simply because they could hardly see what is on the board.
In a country where about 27 percent of the population is living below the poverty threshold as per study of the Asian Development Bank, children are normally deprived of good nutrition and proper eye care. As a result, there are a lot of students, particularly from public schools who suffer from poor eyesight. This lack of attention is further aggravated by the fact that the lowest cost of eyeglasses is already equivalent to a day’s wage of an ordinary worker.
While providing basic education is necessary to economic progress in any nation, equipping the children with proper nutrition and necessary support to address their physical handicap is equally important. In the Philippines about 6.5 million of the population suffers from bilateral blindness with the affected group ranging between 0 and 19 years of age. Children with poor vision, when left unattended, can eventually become blind, or lose their interest in achieving success in life due to low self-esteem.
Hence, the Rotary Club of Manila Metro (RCMM) established a project called “Sight for Life”, in cooperation with the Optometric Association of the Philippines. The objective of this project is to help schoolchildren improve their vision through the participation and support of their schools and teachers.
The pilot project of RCMM was launched in Calderon Elementary School in Hermosa Street, Tondo, Manila, where there are about 3,000 grade-school pupils enrolled this school year. The teachers were gathered in the school library one afternoon to teach them how to evaluate vision and eye health of their students through visual acuity testing. The workshop was conducted by one of the country’s leading optometrist, Dr. Carmen Abesamis, assisted by the students of the School of Optometry of the Central Colleges of the Philippines.
About 40 teachers attended the eye-screening workshop and were handed test charts donated by RCMM. During the workshop, they were taught how to check if the eyes of their students are healthy, if they can see in all distances, or if the eyes move properly. The quickest way for the teachers to spot eye deficiency is through the following common signs shown by the child:
- Abnormal eye appearance or head posture
- Having difficulty seeing letters on the board or on written materials
- 3. Bumping things frequently or awkwardness in walking related to sight.
- Squinting of eyes in an effort to see
- Learning and reading difficulty
The team of teachers was given two weeks to evaluate the vision of all the grade-school pupils of the school, and after which, RCMM and the team of optometrist, led by Abesamis, will come back to the school for actual eye examination of the students who are preselected by the teachers. After which, RCMM will provide these beneficiaries with free eyeglasses.
The Sight for Life project hopes to improve the course of lives of the students suffering from poor eyesight and help them achieve their full potential. Someday these children will also contribute to the growth and development of this country and will make our place a brighter place to live.
About the author: Olive Ramos is the former president and CEO of Tigerair Philippines. She was also previously the country head of DHL Supply Chain. Currently, she is active in the Rotary Club of Manila Metro and chairs the advocacy for “Sight for Life”. For comments and suggestions, e-mail her at olive.c.ramos@gmail.com.