May Gataya-Andrada

For more than 15 years, May Gasataya Andrada has become accustomed to the complexities of serving the deaf as their interpreter. She now looks at her task as one of the most fulfilling job in the world having to spend her productive days to bring out the best in every deaf person she encounters and sharing her gift with her colleagues in the interpreting field.

May Andrada is first and foremost a Bachelor of Arts in Science (Pre-Med) graduate from the West Visayas State University in Iloilo City . Aside from this, she has finished her Masters in Arts in Education at West Negros College , Bacolod City and was given a Graduate Certificate in Special Education from the Philippine Normal University. Having the necessary tools for teaching she decided to work at the preschool department in one of the elementary schools in Negros Occidental, where she was born. Although her first working experience was with the regular children, fate has led her to teach the elementary deaf students of Deaf Evangelistic Alliance Foundation Inc., Laguna, in 1986. This opened her doors to the world of the deaf for a year after she became the principal of the school and has shown remarkable leadership traits and genuine concern for the foundation for four more years. She has also worked at the Philippine School for the Deaf in Pasay City as a high school teacher and was certified by the Philippine Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf in 1992. In addition to these, she has managed to teach as a part-time college instructor at the CAP College Foundation, Inc., and the College of St. Benilde , De La Salle University. Through her dedication and commitment she is now the Head of the Student Services Administration and the Registrar of the CAP College Foundation, Inc.

May Andrada boasts of her ability to communicate in five different dialects - Tagalog, Ilonggo, Hiligaynon, Cebuano and English , but, she is particularly more confident of her skill in using sign language to communicate with other people. She considers learning the art of sign language more like a blessing than simply an instrument or a skill and she understands the significance of sharing her blessings with the deaf members of our community.

"Sign Language uses hands...but touches hearts..." - May Andrada