MANILA -- The Senate on Tuesday passed on third and final reading a bill declaring the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) as an official medium of instruction and mode of communications in educating deaf people in the country.
Senate Bill No. 1455 was approved with 20 affirmative votes, zero negative vote, and no abstention.
Under the measure, FSL would become the medium of instruction in educating deaf Filipinos.
The bill would require that the FSL be taught as a separate subject in the curriculum for deaf learners, followed by schools and educational institutions.
Similarly, FSL would be used as the official mode of communication used by government in all transactions involving the deaf, through FSL-trained interpreters in various government offices.
The bill would also make FSL the means of interpretation in broadcast media, delivering news and information consistently to the deaf community.
Once enacted into law, the bill would task the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWP), the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and other stakeholders to establish a national system of standards and accreditation for interpreting FSL in media.
The sponsors of SB 1455 hailed the approval of the proposed measure.
Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said the establishment of an official language for the deaf would promote the right of the deaf community in the Philippines to their identity, expression, and communication.
"This would be particularly helpful in our courts and police stations, so that deaf Filipinos have a fair share in our justice system," Aquino said.
Meanwhile, Senator Nancy Binay said the bill would ensure that Filipinos who are hard of hearing are able to exercise their right to expression and opinion without prejudice to their condition.
“There was a need to identify and adopt standards that would guide the development and advancement, especially in communication, of the deaf and hard of hearing. The state should recognize and promote the use of sign languages, embodying the specific cultural and linguistic identity of the Filipino deaf," Binay said. (PNA)
