Deaf Voices Raised Using Talking Hands and Whistles_Long Live FSL!
November 7, 2012
The Fight is On for FSL!!!
Assembly Point – Philcoa
Rommel Agravante [my FSL 3 teacher] and Rack Corpuz – Some of Deaf Frontliners
Dr. Liza Martinez in Fighting Mood
To shout Deaf Filipinos’ demand for the recognition of Filipino Sign Language [FSL] as their national sign language, members of different Deaf organizations assembled in Philcoa, Diliman, Quezon City. Led by staunch Deaf advocate Dr. Liza Martinez of Philippine Deaf Resource Center, PFD President Rey Lee, Weng Rivera of the Filipino Deaf Health and Crisis Center, and several other Deaf leaders and their group members, they assembled at 8.30 am and finally started moving towards Batasang Pambansa at 9 am.
Philippine Federation of the Deaf President Rey Lee with a Letter from Congress. Rey was my FSL Level 1 teacher
I joined the DLS-CSB SDEAS Filipino Sign Language Learning Program group led by my FSL Level 2 Deaf teacher Ana Salazar.
Ana Salazar, third from right
Every now and then, you could hear the whistles blaring loud; their fists up; and their spirits visibly uplifted. We made a stopover at the Commission of Human Rights; Deaf leaders met with the focal person for PWDs while we waited on the open ground.
On to the Commission on Human Rights
Waiting at CHR Ground
From there, the walk continued until about noontime; I saw members of Alliance of Concerned Teacher’s Party List led by Cong. Antonio Tinio. Several other Deaf persons joined the group at Batasang Pambansa area… That’s where I met Dennis and Jennifer; Mackie and Febe. Anyhow, I wasn’t able to join the afternoon event. I didn’t witness the more important “action” – the presentation of Deaf’s demand to the House of Congress for FSL’s recognition. I had some other activity in the afternoon.
Weng Rivera Explains What to Do Next
Moments Before Proceeding to House of Congress; Congressman Tinio-solon Who Proposed HB6079 in barong
However, after they left, I sat awhile to rest. A policeman approached and asked me about the rally. He told me he was happy to learn about the rally’s cause and admitted that it was his first time to be aware of FSL and ASL/SEE issue. That’s one concrete outcome of “shouting” together loudly as one — using whistles and talking hands. The campaign shouldn’t stop until Deaf’s legitimate demands are met. I’ll be editing the video of the walk from Philcoa to where I got to talk with the policeman. Will post later.
By the way, all my FSL teachers are in the docu Silent Odyssey, sked to be reshown this Saturday, November 10 [9.30 to 12nn] , Monday Nov 12 and Wednesday Nov 14 [12nn-3pm] at DLS-CSB PEN Lab.
To understand more the current issue, please read the following:
pushing-filipino-sign-language#.UJqU0Wf4tK2
solon-urges-use-of-filipino-sign-language-in-formal-education
press-conference-on-fsl-bill.html
For more report on the event by deaf-e-news, click hundreds-march-to-congress-to-support fsl
Advocacine's Blog 
[…] Produced by Miryad Visyon in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and DLS-CSB School of Deaf and Applied Studies, versions in Filipino, English, Spanish and the first-ever interpretation in FSL more than 100 years after they were written will be shown. The films were made in connection with the Sesquicentennial Celebration of Dr. Rizal’s birth anniversary in 2011. The initiative is part of the continuing effort to advocate for the use and recognition of the Filipino Sign Language as national sign language of Deaf Filipinos so that the Department of Education would be exposed more on what FSL really is and its significance to our Deaf brothers as index to their cultural identity. Currently, DepEd authorities recognize more the importance of American Sign Language. [To see the photos during the FSL Rally, click deaf-voices-raised-using-talking-hands-and-whistles_long-live-fsl] […]