Lawmaker Ma. Lourdes “Marilou” T. Arroyo is calling on her colleagues to review the implementation of the Filipino Sign Language Act to ensure that the rights of people who are deaf or hard of hearing are protected and that they have access to information, education, and health services during the coronavirus pandemic.
The chairperson of the House Special Committee on Persons with Disability filed House Resolution No. 955 directing the Inter-Agency Council to submit to the House of Representatives a “comprehensive” report on the monitoring and implementation of Republic Act No. 11106, which was signed into law by President Duterte in November 2018. Manila Bulletin reported.
“During this crisis when information is constantly changing, getting information to people who are deaf or hard of hearing is not easy,” she said.
She noted that under RA 11106, the Inter-Agency Council is required to make an annual report on the monitoring and implementation of the law and submit it to both houses of Congress, and publicly disclose it.
RA 11106 declares the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) as the national sign language of the Filipino deaf and the official sign language of government in all transactions involving people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The law mandates the use of FSL in schools, broadcast media, and workplaces.
