Mandaluyong, foreign firm help kids with hearing woes

The local government of Mandaluyong City and the Canadian hearing aid company earAccess Inc., its local partner FINE Nutrition Trading International, entered into a partnership called “Project Access: Save and Hear” to conduct hearing screening on children living in the city.

The target of the hearing screening are Mandaluyong daycare center children, plus Kindergarten up to Grade 4 students. Out of the total 6,700 children in daycare centers in the city, 2,800 kids have already been screened, in addition to 5,000 children aged 5-17. Next to be screened will be the Kindergarten up to Grade 4 pupils in the next six weeks, hoping to end before Christmas.

“Early intervention and identification for children with hearing loss is really important, which is why we are doing this so that they can be identified and intervention be conducted before they enter the school system. We don’t want these kids to lose the chance to learn to speak or not have access to education because of that,” explains Esther Jamieson, Project Manager for earAccess Inc., during the MOU signing event held at the Mandaluyong City Hall recently.

Jamieson said the kids tested with hearing problems will be referred to Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists in the city. “With FINE representing us, our first operational clinic in Manila will open shortly to provide follow ups for children. There they will be given the opportunity to purchase the high-quality, totally affordable hearing aids from earAccess for their hearing needs,” adds Jamieson.

Alberto Gonzalez, Director of Sales and Business Development at earAccess, said the project is complex given the large number of very young children. “It is one of the first times in the world that play audiometry was taken out of the clinic and applied in field conditions to a large number of children. We are all both proud and happy at the difference we are making in these children’s lives”.

Jamieson adds that aside from this screening, they have also started a community screening project with the University of Sto. Tomas and the City of Mandaluyong as part of Deaf Awareness Week on November 10-17, 2018, where hearing screenings will likewise be conducted. They are also  into partnerships with Philippine Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) chapters in Metro Manila for community screenings and identify people regardless of age with possible hearing problems. Of course, free hearing screening tests are conducted daily except Mondays at select Watsons stores (Megamall, SM Manila, Fairview, North Edsa and Robinsons Ermita) where earAccess hearing aids are sold.

“Aside from the audiometrists in Watsons stores, we have a hearing screening team dedicated to conducting screenings in Mandaluyong but it will also be involved in other community screenings. All our time and efforts, manpower, in these activities constitute FINE Nutrition’s support to the project,” explains Imelda Tesalona, RPh, President of FINE Nutrition.

The ACCESS® brand of hearing aids sold by earAccess Inc. was launched recently in the country so Filipinos can avail themselves of high-quality yet affordable hearing aids. These include the entry-level, quick-fit and programmable ACCESS® 1 BTE 13 and ACCESS® 2 BTE 13 POWER, both with utmost quality and advanced digital sound processors for high-quality sound and outstanding feedback cancellation attributes.