Joy Lanon Cristal

      Ms. Joy Lanon Cristal has her own way of getting things done the way she wants it. The world simply opens up to her because she puts perspective in the fields that she chooses to lead and takes pride in all the events and people she has shared her life with. For these people, Ms. Joy is like a stream silently flowing, ever calm and life sustaining with her own unique elements.

She was born January 1. Her age remains a mystery but the book accounting her 20 years of experience in the interpreting field has been considered a treasure many will find hard to plunder. After graduating Cum Laude with Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Lyceum of the Philippines and taking units in education at the Philippine Normal University, she taught a group of multi-handicapped children at the Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf (SAID) using the principles in sign language interpreting from the Philippine Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (PRID) where she was registered as an interpreter in the year 1986. To further her craft in teaching she pursued a masters degree program in Special Education (Deaf Education) at the Miriam College and in Psychology at the University of Sto . Tomas. Now, she is currently continuing her professional growth by pursuing a doctorate program in Applied Cosmic Anthropology at the Asian Social Institute.

Aside from practicing in the educational field of interpreting, she also found joy serving the deaf with her expertise in psychology when she became the guidance counselor of SAID (1988-1989), Mental Health Program Coordinator of the Catholic Ministry to Deaf People (1996-1999), Head of the Office for Deaf-Esteem and Formation and the Senior Counselor and Coordinator of SDEAS-Lasallian Ministry (2001-2004). Likewise, she has served as a pastoral worker at Bolinao, Pangasinan where she ministered to the religious interpreting needs of the deaf people in the parish. 

A steadfast bearer of her own standards, Ms. Joy works her way up the ladder with unremarkable intelligence and prudent use of her God given talents. In four consecutive years, she has been a favorite Professional Incentive Awards recipient from her workplace at the Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf. The Golden Hands Award is not the first award that recognized her extensive contribution to the deaf for she has also been considered the Outstanding Service Provider by the Association of Agencies for the Deaf and was acknowledged with an award “Ten Years of Committed Service” to the Deaf's Catholic Formation and Development during the 8 th Philippine Catholic Congress on Deafness. Now, she is the coordinator for 3 key academic areas of the Deaf College Program at the College of St. Benilde , De LaSalle University. 

The well acclaimed Ms. Joy, the shinning “Cristal” among the interpreters, shares her sense of optimism in her own words:

“Indeed, this world must be better because we have lived here but not through demeaning each other's worth and contribution but seeing everyone and everything as part of an unfolding history that is simply meant to happen.” - Joy Cristal