THE Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines Inc. Davao City (DSAPI-Davao) urged the public to refrain from calling people with down syndrome "mongoloid."
"Please refrain from calling them mongoloid or mongolism because this is very degrading, discriminating, and misleading," Lanie P. Vergara, Asst. Coordinator DSAPI-Davao, said during the I-speak press conference on February 23, 2023.
In a separate interview with VoxPop Davao on February 24, she said calling individuals with Down Syndrome as such has a negative connotation.
"Dili gud unta gyud ni siya sa unang panahon nga tagaan og lain meaning but na stereotype siya sa mga tao nga pag naa kay 'mongoloid' kay (It should not have a different other meaning but it was stereotyped by other people that if you're a mongoloid then) you belong to second class type of people or lower class in the society," she said.
"Kung baga kung gamiton nila ang term nga mongoloid baba kaayo pagtan-aw nila sa mga tao nga murag dili gyud siya maka-contribute sa society (If they are going to use the term you are described as the lowest type of person in the society)," she added.
She added that there are also misconceptions about a person with down syndrome including that down syndrome cases are rare.
"It's not true because this is a genetic disorder. According to the Philippine data, 1 in 800 is a child with down syndrome," she said.
Another misconception she said is people believe that a person with down syndrome does not have other feelings except happiness.
"They have feelings, they can be hurt by negative words, but they can respond man also to love and appreciation, so it's not true nga dili sila kasabot," Vergara said.
She said that a person with down syndrome is even capable of working. She added that three out of 35 people with down syndrome who have undergone skills training in the city were hired.
She said one was assigned to the city government of Davao, another one is working in one of the malls in the city, and the other one working in a known resort on Samal Island.
"Hopefully we can have more opportunities for them didto sa mga establishments na willing pud sila mo-accept na mga (that are willing to accept) employees with down syndrome," she said. KSD
