PASAY CITY, Philippines – The Senate of the Philippines on Tuesday (August 28) 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 the country to promote the rights of deaf persons.”
With 20 affirmative votes, zero negative votes and no abstention, the Senate approved Senate Bill No. 1455 which would require that “the FSL be taught as a separate subject in the curriculum for deaf learners followed by schools and educational institutions.”
Sponsored by Senator Bam Aquino, “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,” which Aquino said, “would be particularly helpful in our courts and police stations so that deaf Filipinos have a fair share in our justice system.”
Once enacted into law, the measure would task the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWP) and other stakeholders such as the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to establish a national system of standards and accreditation for interpreting FSL in media. – Marje Pelayo
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