By Alexandria San Juan For her hearing impaired stu­dents, Leticia Nietes Buhay is not only a speech therapist and teacher, she is their "Teacher Mom" – a real life hero who helps them tirelessly until they are able to speak and understand the world around them. a senior psychology student at the Ateneo
De Manila University, passed away in 1986 after suffering from leukemia. "I have many patients who are already starting to talk when I practice therapy and they ask me: 'Why don't you open up a school? Marunong nang magsalita yung aming mga anak. Ayaw namin sa regular school kasi baka pagtawanan, so option is for you to please open a school,'" she said.
"At that time, we are taking care of Maria Lena, or our Lenlen, because she was sick,” Buhay recalled. “When she passed away, my husband and I talked that it might be a good idea to open a school in her memory and make it a non-stock, non-profit school,” she added.
But neither did Buhay know that putting up a school was also a dream of Lenlen. Years after the school was established, she learned from a colleague
of her late daughter that she too wanted to open a school after finishing her course.
"Sabi ko, 'God always works in mysterious
ways'. We didn't know that she wanted to open a school and there, my husband and I opened up a school,” Buhay
said. “She became an instrument without us knowing na yun pala ang gusto niya," she said – adding that the schools is their gift to Lenlen.
Starting with only 10 pre-school students
in 1987, the MLBMFI eventually grew until it could accommodate grade schoolers.
Fondly called as "Teacher Mom" by her students and their parents, Buhay considered her patients and students as her own children. While other schools for the deaf are teaching sign languages, she believes that children with hearing-impairment still can talk.
Just like any other mother, joy fills Buhay's hearts when her students are mainstreamed, or accepted in a normal school. "We are happy when the child is mainstreamed kasi we succeeded in making the child talk," she ended. Buhay is the founder and directress of Maria Lena Buhay Memorial Founda­tion, Inc. (MLBMFI), the pioneer oral school for the hearing-impaired in the country established in 1987 to help chil­dren with hearing problems learn how to talk, to understand, and to be understood through its various speech-based inter­vention program. More than 30 years since the school was put up, Buhay – with its well-trained teachers and staff – was able to help a hun­dred of hearing-impaired students to talk, engage in music and arts, among others, just like what normal children do. The idea of putting up the school came after their daughter, Maria Lena, a senior psychology student at the Ate­neo De Manila University, passed away in 1986 after suffering from leukemia. "I have many patients who are already starting to talk when I practice therapy and they ask me: 'Why don't you open up a school? Marunong nang magsalita yung aming mga anak. Ayaw namin sa regular school kasi baka pagtawanan, so option is for you to please open a school,'" she said. "At that time, we are taking care of Maria Lena, or our Lenlen, because she was sick,” Buhay recalled. “When she passed away, my husband and I talked that it might be a good idea to open a school in her memory and make it a non-stock, non-profit school,” she added. But neither did Buhay know that putting up a school was also a dream of Lenlen. Years after the school was established, she learned from a col­league of her late daughter that she too wanted to open a school after finishing her course. "Sabi ko, 'God always works in mys­terious ways'. We didn't know that she wanted to open a school and there, my husband and I opened up a school,” Bu­hay said. “She became an instrument without us knowing na yun pala ang gusto niya," she said – adding that the schools is their gift to Lenlen. Starting with only 10 pre-school stu­dents in 1987, the MLBMFI eventually grew until it could accommodate grade schoolers. Fondly called as "Teacher Mom" by her students and their parents, Buhay considered her patients and students as her own children. While other schools for the deaf are teaching sign languages, she believes that children with hearing-impairment still can talk. Just like any other mother, joy fills Buhay's hearts when her students are mainstreamed, or accepted in a normal school. "We are happy when the child is mainstreamed kasi we succeeded in making the child talk," she ended.