Some encounters linger with you, resurfacing at the most unexpected times. I still remember meeting the brother of my niece’s mother, who is Deaf and communicates fluently through sign language. Watching him tell entire stories with his hands—confident, articulate, and brimming with personality—opened a door I hadn’t even known existed.
I longed to converse with him, to meet him in his language, but I didn’t know how. I promised myself then that I would learn sign language. Yet, as with so many well-meaning intentions, life intervened, and that desire quietly slipped into the background.
Years later, I attended the CCP Front of House Apprenticeship Program culminating activity. The program welcomed 10 Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing participants who joined various workshops and lectures to learn about venue management and technical theater operations, among others. They later became part of the CCP Ushering Team.
her voice at the concert to support
HearLife-Verein’s work for the Deaf
and Hard-of-Hearing community
For many persons with disabilities (PWDs) who regularly encounter discrimination in their pursuit of meaningful careers, the CCP program has become a turning point, offering opportunities and dignity through the power of the arts.
Whenever I watch a show at the CCP, I’m reminded of the young Deaf ushers who guide audiences with a level of attentiveness that makes you feel immediately seen. Watching one of them confidently navigate a bustling lobby, fielding questions through signs, gestures, and a calm assurance, expanded my understanding of what inclusivity truly looks like. It doesn’t ask for applause; it simply works, quietly and powerfully, in the background.
And it made me wonder: what other possibilities could unfold for these remarkable individuals if they were given the support, opportunities, and recognition they so richly deserve?
This is perhaps the rationale behind the upcoming concert, A Christmas Overture, a fundraising concert at the Manila House Private Members Club for the benefit of HearLife-Verein.
At its heart, the event celebrates not just music but the profound human longing to connect—whether through music, through presence, or through the strength of a supportive community.
The gifts of music and hearing
A Christmas Overture gathers a remarkable lineup of artists whose purpose runs deeper than performance. Vocalists Evangeline Ng Lao, Lucia Caterina Boschi, Tara Bahukhandi, Mavis Jane Tan, and Sherine Ann Koa, joined by pianist Sharlene Morta, herself a MED-EL cochlear implant user, will lend their voices and music to the cause.
They will be accompanied by musicians Mary Joyce San Juan (violin), Lauro Valentino Cad (viola), Irvin Roie So (cello), Raymundo Sison (flute), and internationally renowned pianist Dr. Abelardo Galang II, weaving together a repertoire of holiday classics and moving orchestral works.
But beyond the music, the concert is a statement that hearing—so often taken for granted—is a gift with life-altering power.
Proceeds support HearLife-Verein, a non-profit that empowers children with cochlear implants and Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals. Their work stretches far beyond medical intervention: from hearing assessments and therapy scholarships to family counseling, educational guidance, and training for the medical professionals who accompany each child’s journey.
As HearLife founder and president Maribel Müller puts it, “The holidays remind us that connection is at the heart of every celebration. HearLife helps restore connection in its purest form—through sound, communication, and the possibility of a fuller, richer life. For many of HearLife’s beneficiaries, this gift means the chance to hear a parent’s voice for the first time, to participate in school without barriers, or to finally feel connected in a world that had once been quiet.”
Every beneficiary’s story is a reminder of these quiet triumphs: a child hearing a parent’s voice for the first time, a student participating in class without fear, a family rediscovering how to communicate.
Set within the understated elegance of Manila House, A Christmas Overture offers more than a musical evening. It is an invitation to listen, to feel, and to support stories that begin in silence and grow into possibility.
Tickets are P2,700 for members and P3,000 for guests. For reservations: reservations@manilahouseinc.com or (+63) 917-816-3685.
Each ticket becomes part of a child’s first step toward hearing, a family’s renewed hope, and a community that believes in the right to communication and connection.
