Filipino Sign Language
To all colleagues, co-advocates, supporters and friends - House Bill 6079 has been filed In Congress this year proposing to declare Filipino Sign Language as the national sign language and to be used in all language domains in the classroom, workplace, health facilities, courts and mass media. It shall be a landmark legislation as it addresses comprehensively the exclusion and discrimination that the Filipino Deaf community has experienced over the entire century in access to information and communication. At the House Committee hearing held last Oct. 16, 2012, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (SPED) HAS STATED THAT IT IS OPPOSING THE BILL. *(Note that it has been in SPED Policy since 1997 that Filipino Sign Language is to be the medium of instruction for deaf students) Participation by the Philippine Federation of the Deaf in the public Committee hearings on the Bill have been hampered by poor communications notice, and lack of official interpreting service. The Deaf community is invoking