- Elmark Joaquin is a special education teacher for 17 years now.
- His concern was that his students who are learners with disabilities (LWD) should have skills to get jobs after graduation.
- He started a project called "Competency Alignment for Employment to Community Inclusion” which
- trained his students as service crew members of local coffee shops and restaurants.
- The DepEd has cited him as an outstanding teacher for 2022.
Joaquin, 40, is that special education (SPED) teacher with a special heart. He has been teaching learners with disabilities (LWDs) for 17 years now.
(Elmark Joaquin/Facebook)
But when most of them reached adolescence, Joaquin felt the need to do more than teach them how to make pastries or craft bracelets; he wanted to instill in them a skill they could use to earn a living.
As a SPED teacher, his students have varied conditions such as Down syndrome, autism, intellectual disability, and developmental delays.
For eight years, Joaquin has been with Matias A. Fernando Memorial School, where he eventually hatched this plan: teach his students the skills needed for food and beverage services.
(Elmark Joaquin/Facebook)
During the pandemic, he noticed business establishments opening in Angat, Bulacan, which gave him the idea to encourage workers to consider accepting LWDs as service crew members.
"Nangligaw kami ng mga cafes na maaaring tumanggap sa mga learners ko for immersion or OJTs, parang ganoon (We asked the owners if they can allow our students to intern in their shops)", he said in an interview with Manila Bulletin.
He then drafted his "Competency Alignment for Employment to Community Inclusion," or Project C.A.F.E., which became a guide to the transition program of LWDs toward food and beverage services.
To bring his plan to fruition, Joaquin also sought the help of his co-teachers and their school principal.
(Elmark Joaquin/Facebook
From February to June 2020, Pugpog Biker's Highlands Café, Eat and Ride Café, and Tastealicious Café trained the first batch of 18-year-old students with Down syndrome.
According to Joaquin, the LWDs' first day was emotional; parents, including the Project C.A.F.E team, were teary-eyed as they watched the students take on their first jobs as food and beverage servers.
Through Joaquin's passion and dedication, these students now have skills in table setting, food serving, and cleaning tables.
According to his research paper sent to MB, the pilot batch proved that children with special needs have the capacity, if guided, to be part of the country's workforce. It also proved that children with disabilities are good customer service providers.
The project's success also received recognition from Angat Mayor Reynante Bautista, who has sponsored the students' allowance and transportation since June. And from just three cafes, Project C.A.F.E now counts Jollibee, Divimart, and Angat's Municipal Offices as participants in the program.
Joaquin said this is just the beginning, admitting that the first batch of LWDs took two months to learn how to carry trays. He added that Project C.A.F.E. would ensure that the next batch of 28 students will be prepared for their future careers in the food and beverage industry.
"Plan namin ito ituloy tuloy, until such time na handa na sila (We plan to continue this project until the children are ready) for employment," he promised.
This November, Project C.A.F.E plans to intensify its program by making the immersion three to four hours per shift. (Timothy Gacura)