Drop by the DEAFinitely Happy Store at Carmona Elementary School Gate 2 to enjoy good coffee and snacks while supporting an incredible cause. Manned entirely by deaf personnel and persons with Down syndrome, this inclusive cafe showcases award-winning handmade products and meaningful local pasalubong. The store is a social enterprise powered by the CARER Program, a local government initiative providing free education and livelihood for persons with disabilities.
A Café with a Mission Rooted in the CARER Program
The DEAFinitely Happy Store is not your typical coffee stop—it's a community hub built on the foundation of Carmona's award-winning CARER Program. Launched in 2000, the Comprehensive Approach, Responsive Education, and Rehabilitation (CARER) Program began as a 20-learner initiative and has since grown into a holistic, free special education program for persons with disabilities . Through the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO), CARER offers education, vocational training, and rehabilitation all under one roof.
The program has received multiple accolades, including the prestigious Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award in 2022 and recognition at the Global Inclusion Awards in Paris in 2024 . The café itself was inaugurated in March 2023, just months before Carmona's cityhood plebiscite, with local officials emphasizing that "there will always be inclusive growth" and that "walang maiiwan sa laylayan" (no one will be left behind).
Award-Winning Products and Simple Comforts
The store doubles as a souvenir shop featuring handmade crafts that tell a story. One of its standout products is the paper mâché piggy bank, handcrafted by persons with disabilities from the CARER Program, which won recognition at the ATOP-DOT Pearl Awards . The café offers coffee, iced drinks, sandwiches, and merienda favorites—all prepared and served by the PWD staff .
To ensure smooth operations, the staff uses color-coded order slips and simple visual cues to communicate clearly with customers . Employees also underwent training under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to prepare them for their roles . The store was launched through a partnership between the local government, two PWD associations (SENYASCCI and DYSNPESO-CC), and Cavite State University Carmona, which helped establish the store's operation system .
