La Union’s First Ever Deaf Friendly Cafe

February 17, 2020 Community Billboard

ROSARIO, LA UNION – A unique café has recently opened its doors to the public at Rosario, La Union, more interesting than that, is the story and the people behind it. Janmar Mangosong, 24, is a deaf individual who has recently conceptualized a café that advocates PWD employment and its community.

Mangosong is a senior high school graduate with passion for the culinary and fine arts, the passion where he has eventually taken inspiration from for his café. He has also joined pageant titles in the Cordillera and recently won a program that promotes recycling materials by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources last December 2019.

But besides that, with love and support from his family, friends and one he considers his second mother, a more fulfilling goal has to come light through “JM’s Kitchen: Deaf friendly café”.

“I want to show other people my skills in cooking and I want them to know my abilities, not my disabilities. And to help my friends like me” expressed Mangosong. (Through interpretation) Manolito M. Mangosong and Mary Anne M. Mangosong, took it to heart to fund their sons café regardless of financial difficulties.

Furthermore, the Mangosongs are taking a stand to advocate and prioritize those in the PWD community due to discrimination and unwanted experiences.

“Kasi nga may discrimination, kaya sabi ko, eh di nagkaroon ako ng blessing at itong mga kaparehas ng anak ko ang bibigyan ko ng priority na sila na talaga ang mag serve dito. And ito dream na dream toh ng anak ko…At hindi ko masukat ang kaligayahan na nakikita ko sa mukha nila” said Mary Anne Mangosong.

Moreover, Special Education Teacher, Eden B. Valdez, together with parents of Johnmars senior high school batch, greatly invested and supported their rights to collegiate study. Valdez rigorously searched for universities, all around northern Luzon, to find the education they deserve.

However, even if numerous educational establishments hoped to accommodate them, lack of sign language interpreters deemed to be a shortcoming.

“Naituro ko na ang mga basic foundation, pero alam itong mga bata gusto pa nila magcollege, but sadly hindi sila ma-accommodate dahil walang makaka-interpret sa kanila, so ngayon, ang gusto ko sanang Makita ng publiko na gustong gusto nila magcollege. Ito din ang dahilan kung bakit nagpatayo ng business” expressed Valdez.

This experience prompted the Mangosongs to establish a business to showcase the PWD community’s livelihood skills, cater to PWD employment and uphold the virtue of family values through Northern Luzons first ever Deaf friendly Cafe.

The Cafés boasts its original buttered chicken, carbonara, fish fillet and flavorful shakes as their inhouse specialty. And even shows off “Instagram worthy” interiors and paintings personally made by Janmar himself through his passion of the arts. Now, with experiences of hardship and collaborative efforts, they run one of the most heartening cafés you should visit in the region.

Allyzon Kaye A. Lavarias/Intern – ABN