F-Xinulator: Filipino Sign Language TranslatorA proposed Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Department of Information Technology of Far Eastern University, Makati. In partial fulfilment of the course Software Development Alibusa, Paula Jodine G. Arayata, Alden Shaun E. Estrella, Juan Paolo M. Matias, Mark Adrian T. Ramirez, Karl Ivan O. November 30, 2014 Abstract of the study The Filipino sign language application is programed to teach and show the basic sign language to make it possible for users (deaf and normal people) to understand different sign languages, to understand one another far more quickly than users of unrelated spoken languages can. The idea was to make a mobile app that will help people to learn the basic languages for them to communicate well with deaf people. The program will show three parts, these are the alphabets, numbers and basic words. Participants will obtain the basic knowledge for learning each signs and their meanings. The researchers provide this application to help people who wants to learn the basic sign language in case of communicating to deaf people, also, the researchers provide a quiz in every end of the lesson. Instead of going to the actual session that may cause a lack of time for the end-user to attend, the researchers provide an easy and simple e-learning mobile application. Table of Contents Title Page …………………………………………………………………………. i Abstract …………………………………………………………………………… ii Chapter 1 – The Problem and its Background Background of the Study ………………………………………………………... 1 Objectives of the Study ………………………………………………………….. 2 Scope and Limitations of the Study …………………………………………….. 3 Significance of the Study ……………………………….................................... 4 Chapter 2 - Conceptual Framework Review of Related Literature and Studies ……………………………………... 5 Conceptual Model of the Study …………………………………………………. 6 Operational Definition of Terms …………………………………………………. 7 Chapter 3 – Research Methodology Research Design ………………………………………………………………….. 8 Project Development ……………………………………………………………… 9 Operation and Testing Procedure ……………………………………………… 10 Chapter 4 – Results and Discussions Project Description ………………………………………………………………. 11 Project Structure …………………………………………………………………. 12 Project Capabilities and Limitations ……………………………………………. 13 Project Evaluation ………………………………………………………………... 14 Chapter 5 – Summary of Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations Summary of Findings ……………………………………………………………. 15 Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………… 16 Recommendations ……………………………………………………………… 17 the meaning and feelings of each signs. numbers and basic words. as this will be a stepping stone of learning 5. Scope and Limitation of the Study The study focused on Sign Language Translator. To give more time in learning the basic sign language in 3. Objectives of the Study 1. but sign language is not only for deaf but also to people who can hear.) learn and communicate well with the special child (deaf). and . To less the avoidance and accessibility of the deaf to the normal people. The respondents of the study were composed of deaf people. Provided an alphabet. The study only focus on the alphabets. and this is commonly used by communities of deaf people. but cannot physically speak.) any time and location.) To assess the knowledge level of the participant in learning the basic sign language by holding it into their 2. numbers and basic phrases. The researchers formulated the scope and limitations of this project to identify the boundaries of this study. A Filipino Sign Language Translator is the easiest way to learn the basic sign language as they give the overview of each wave of its body and hands. Making it easier for the friends or families who wants to 4.) palm. their family and friends.Chapter 1: The Problem and Its Background Background of the Study A sign language is a pattern which uses hands and body gesture.) with them in the same time. It will also help the respondents to be exposed in the terms of modern technology. The application is capable of showing the alphabets. This shows how important the researchers’ proposed system is able to change the company’s flow and the following persons will benefit: To special child (deaf). To family and friends. reliability and accurate of the application. This proposed application will make it easier for them to learn and understand the basic sign languages in the terms of communicating well with the people who are deaf. the study doesn’t handle composing sentences that may able to show the actual sign language. Significance of the Study This section will provide brief description on the significances focusing on helpfulness.people who encounter the sign language. The program will only be compatible on Android. The sign language will be translated into English since we are using the FSL (Filipino Sign Language) for this application. The application also handles a quiz. The study doesn’t require internet connection to access the mobile application. as if ever the family have a deaf member with them. . The proposed system serves as a guide for them to easily handle the new information system that is to be developed. Also. so the participants can evaluate his/her knowledge after learning or seeing the demo of each words or alphabet that was presented on the application. It cannot also translate all words into action as it only uses the basic/common sign language. numbers and basic phrases. it triggers their senses to make their status known by giving others a piece of their mighty minds. . you might certainly experience a little headache in trying to decipher what the deaf meant.To future researchers. this would be a tad easier to understand. However. this is also a place where some people tend to show off to others that they are better and had experienced the finer things in life. Now here is where the Bullies come in. It gives them (me included) a chance to be or stay informed about the whereabouts of everyone. Facebook has been a perfect place for people to mingle without being physically present. Chapter 2: Conceptual Framework Review of Related Literature and Studies Local Literatures 1. This head bully copypasted the deaf’s post and remarked insults about his English using our Filipino language while sharing it with others. Enter the Deaf. Then his cohorts posted more insulting messages below. But for those who are familiar with the Filipino deaf’s way of writing. When they see someone who is not within their level in life. Here is his FB post: Deaf's FB PostTo those who are natural English speakers. That’s when bullying comes in. His name is Mininio Buhat. The proposed system will help and benefit their future studies as their guide and can possibly open new developments. Deaf people rarely have a mastery of English Grammar because they only understand English as used in sign language which is shorthand in nature. Here is my FB status: Even though I consider this to serve primarily as a wakeup call for our deaf friends to polish their messages first before posting them in social media. the director of Dinig Sana Kita.Twenty one insults.152 likes. Here is what he aired in FB last August 2: OF GREAT CONCERN! PLEASE READ THIS CAPTION FIRST! I saw this posted on facebook. Having experienced the deaf and their culture. 12. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU WHO POSTED THIS IN JEST! Just the same no one should judge people by their inability to use English. Yes. 34 likes and 24 shares later. Mike Sandejas.288 shares and 339 comments later. Direk Mike received tons of praises defending the deaf. I also greatly salute Director Mike E. Sandejas for understanding and defending them. . whether Deaf or non-Deaf. This is where I found my actors for Dinig Sana Kita If you look at the right side of the picture you will see how people have made fun of the English this Person with Disability has used. Mr. The writing ability sometimes is still being developed while in college. a story of a deaf person who was in love with a hearing felt that he needs to also say his piece about the matter. he then turned to the “bashers” and explained his side on the issue. I was one of those who shared and posted “a piece of my miniscule mind”. This is why I made the film Dinig Sana Kita. Mabuhay po kayo Then it went viral. I am outraged by how people are so quick to judge others by their use of English. To open the eyes of hearing people to the world of the Deaf so that they will not be insulted like this. I saw a pattern in the misuse of English that I have seen before in my dealings with Deaf people and I immediately looked up Minino Buhat. 4. the person who wrote it is Deaf and according to Facebook is a student of College of St Benilde which has a School for Deaf. Feel lucky that I blotted out your names lest you now be judged the same way. the post caught the attention of the Defender. here are the videos and articles posted by the mainstream and social media. As of this writing. Everybody can have access to your post whether you are deaf or not. frequencies and percentages. who is a sign language interpreter herself. The inter-rater reliability was established at 67%. The descriptive statistical analyses included means. I’m not saying that we should all be grammar policemen. I am definitely not siding with the bullies.com/category/filipinosign-language/ 2. Benilde. nine students who are at a Transition Stage 2 to 3 (Mythic- .wordpress. The researcher. Each tape was then transcribed into written English by a sign language teacher and checked and verified by two other sign language interpreters. But at least our dear Deaf should also consider that they have hearing friends who read and try to understand their posts the best way they can. The transcript was coded and scored according to Fowler's criteria for faith stage by the researcher and two (2) other scorers.VIRAL | Film director shames FB crowd for cyberbullying a deaf user for poor English Filipino Film Director Calls on Cyberbullying They even made a news-reply from the bullied Deaf. I still find it amusing how they construct their sentences. especially in my English class that written English is the water as sign language is the oil. This study analyzes and describes the stages of faith development of deaf students enrolled in 2000-2001 at the Special Schools Studies at the De La Salle University-College of St. The students were interviewed using an open-ended format adapted from Deborde's Interview Guide. While I am always on the defensive side whenever they are insulted. The Non-Language Multi-Mental Test Form A was also administered. Source: https://deafphilippines. Fourteen out of twenty randomly selected students responded to the interview. Having been with Filipino deaf education for more than twenty years now. I still remind them. Results show that there was one student who is at Stage 2 (Mythic-Literal Faith). Manlapig. To my deaf friends. They should never mix the two because it would certainly won’t.According to Maria Christina L. conducted each interview being videotaped. admit it. Thus the students in the present study were a little bit delayed in the faith development in comparison to Fowler's categorization. there seem to be no association between age and stage of faith development because of the small sample size of the study. the higher is the faith stage of faith. the higher is their faith stage. This study also found that the use of sign language by parents seemed to be associated with the student's stage of faith development. the higher is the stage of faith development. the higher is the stage of faith development. The older the student.Literal and Synthetic-Conventional Faith) and four students are at Stage 3 (Synthetic-Conventional Faith). Sign language number recognition system lays down foundation for handshape recognition which addresses real and current problems in signing in the deaf community and leads to practical applications. The feature vectors contain the position of dominant-hands . they are at the same stage as grade school students who participated in Deborde's study in 1996. the more crises the student experienced in life. The more they use sign language. The input for the sign language number recognition system is Filipino Sign Language number video files. 3. Students at Transitional Stage 2 to 3 manifest concrete-literal thinking and of inductive-deductive reasoning. According to Fowler. Each number is recorded 5 times using web camera. the students seem to be delayed in their faith development. The frame size of the video is 640 x 480 and the speed is 15 frames per second. Stage 2 occurs at approximately between the ages 18 and 12. A student from School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS) De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) does the Filipino Sign Language numbers with color-coded glove for dominant hand. The system extracts important features from the video using multi-color tracking algorithm which is faster than existing color tracking algorithm because it did not use recursive technique.According to Iwan Njoto. The colorcoded gloves uses less color compared with other color-coded gloves in the existing research. However. The more the students are involved with Campus Ministry activities. Student’s with the higher intelligence seem to have higher faith than those with lower intelligence. The study is limited to include only 1000 numbers in Filipino Sign Language from number 1 to 1000. However. Comparing the students mean age (22) with Fowler's classification. Furthermore. and Stage 3 is usually between the ages 13 and 18. through the help of Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Party List representative Antonio Tinio and Rep. Human Computer Interaction (HCI). the system learns the Filipino Sign Language number in training phase and recognizes the Filipino Sign Language number in testing phase by transcribing Filipino Sign Language number into text.'' shares Raphael Domingo. in passing several relevant House bills to benefit their stakeholders. We want to emphasize that the deaf people also need the help of the hearing community in this advocacy. Hidden Markov Model (HMM). we have a strong advocacy. leaders of the Filipino deaf community are optimistic about the progress they are making. while HB 4631 is a bill that would give access to sign language interpreters in Philippine courts. hand tracking. The system was evaluated in terms of training time and accuracy. multi-color tracking. 4. Sign Language Recognition (SLR). HB 4121. a sector of society that has been lobbying for the recognition of the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) is reiterating its call. MANILA. The same with FSL. Next. we are very optimistic. What's important is we have strong support. The progress has been very tremendous especially this year. Among them is House Bill (HB) 6079 which pushes for the declaration of FSL as the national sign language of the Filipino deaf.52% average accuracy using the features from feature extraction module. As these Bills gain traction. The system uses Hidden Markov Model (HMM) for training and testing phase.3% of all objects. The Filipino deaf community is currently supporting lawmakers.As the country celebrates Buwan ng Wika this month. THE UNIQUE FILIPINO SIGN LANGUAGE . on the other hand.thumb in x and y coordinates and the x and y coordinates of other fingers relatively to the thumb position. Education Access for the Deaf coordinator. The feature extraction could track 92. Philippines . Keywords Computer vision. Teddy Casiño. we want the same mother tongue-based instruction in education. ''Yes. pushes for the use of sign language interpretation inset in television news programs. De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Center for Education Access and Development (CEAD). The recognizer also could recognize Filipino sign language number with 85. There's a lot of research and a lot of work to be done. It has its own grammar. about 60 percent of deaf Filipinos were using ASL while 40 percent used FSL. So they would . facial expression.In 1907. But like any other language. movement. if they are conversing among themselves they are going to be using FSL but if a deaf person would have to communicate with a hearing person. the sign language where most sign languages are derived from. we have a sign for flooding inside the house. and palm orientation. syntax.'' explains Mackie Calbay. In terms of grammar. which is different from the spoken language. ''ASL has a big influence on FSL. It's also the mark of identity of deaf Filipinos. they recorded that about 54 percent of deaf Filipinos use FSL compared to ASL. He explains that the use of FSL by deaf Filipinos has increased through the years. who is also a member of the Special Education (SpEd) Council of the Department of Education (DepEd). a term ASL does not have because they don't experience it. the American Sign Language (ASL) was introduced to the Filipino deaf community through the School for the Deaf and Blind. positioning. For example here in the Philippines. They know ASL but in reality they are using FSL. Today. FSL is believed to be part of the French Sign Language family. president of the Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD). including ASL. STRONGER SUPPORT FOR FSL Rey Alfred Lee. hand location. In 2007. says that the Filipino deaf community did not even know that FSL existed. there are differences and similarities between FSL and ASL. sign languages differ depending on its use and the country's culture.'' explains Domingo. which can be traced back to the history of the Philippines. structure. ''FSL is a unique language. But the conversation and discourse are different depending on the culture. program coordinator of DLS-CSB School of Deaf Education and Applied (SDEAS) Deaf Advocacy. ASL has since influenced FSL. there's an automatic switching of the language. Naturally. the Filipino sign language. ''A lot of deaf people did not realize that they are using FSL. There are similarities in terms of hand shapes. now known as the Philippine School for the Deaf. ''The support for FSL is now stronger. are surprised to discover that there is an FSL. says that most of his students. . FSL IN SCHOOLS One of the main objectives of the deaf community is to push FSL in schools and make it the medium of instruction for deaf students. faculty member of the Filipino Sign Language Learning Program of SDEAS. DepEd is happy about that. Currently. however they are not readily accepting.convert signing exact English (SEE).'' Lee says. both deaf and hearing. it will come soon but we'll have to work double time. The deaf assistants will facilitate communication in the classroom. Although Domingo says that SpEd teachers are not to be blamed. DLS-CSB SDEAS is known for its use of FSL and advocates the use of the local language in the school and community. Lee.'' Domingo says. the Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD) is designing an FSL curriculum for the SpEd course in higher education. Most SpEd schools today use ASL. So that means the SpEd teachers have no choice but to learn sign language by themselves. in line with DepEd's K to 12 curriculum.'' Lee shares. ''The SpEd teachers are aware of the need. We cannot blame them because the SpEd courses do not include FSL courses in their curriculum. Domingo says that they are also now working on the curriculum for the deaf. PFD will also soon work with the Japan Ministry of Education to further enhance FSL as a language. The influence of the usage of FSL is slowly making waves. But if a deaf person converses with another deaf person then they will use the more natural language. Hopefully in terms of the usage of FSL. which is FSL. SpEd courses in colleges and universities also do not offer FSL in their curriculums ''The Special Education Council has made a proposal to hire deaf teacher assistants for hearing teachers who do not know sign language.'' Domingo says. There are many organizations that don't use FSL in their curriculum. They are also in talks with the Professional Regulation Commission in licensing deaf teacher assistants to provide them with the recognition and right to benefits they duly deserve. That's how we communicate and understand each other. PROUD OF FSL These deaf community leaders hope that more deaf Filipinos recognize FSL. their native language.yahoo. Hopefully. The faculty coreof this program.PROUD TO BE DEAF. this is what we know. This particular program was not only academic innature. DLS-CSB is just one of the 17 educational institutions under DeLa Salle Philippines and SDEAS is one of the five academicSchools under this College. being a colonial language.news. The Deaf studentsenrolled at EDD were mostly scholars and as their return serviceto the institution they rendered service through officeassignments which exposed them to the College’s hearingenvironment and challenged them to interact with the hearingmembers of the institution and so from the start the greater . And they will not stop to work to further the cause of their advocacy. the deaf community is fighting for their language. through that they could foster as sense of community and also promote excellence in deaf education.'' Calbay says. It's part of our own language. fighting for their identity. After all. It's where we belong. Reviewing DLS-CSB and SDEASdocuments show that the original program offered for Deaf students was a Certificate Program in Bookkeeping/Accountingfor the Hearing-Impaired that opened in 1991. This is FSL.html 5. where is your own language? We're proud that this is our language. ''ASL. ''SDEAS is advocating the use of FSL in the community. If some people don't take FSL seriously. We should be using a language we could understand. because this is what we use. underwent sign languagetraining and intensive teacher training to prepare them for thework they will be doing with Deaf students admitted into theCollege. Out of respect for the deaf Filipino culture we want FSL to be used here.com/pushing-filipino-sign-language053614492. Source: https://ph. it's Filipino. other countries will look down at us. but also included a formation component that focused onDeaf students’ emotional development. placed under the Educational DevelopmentDepartment (EDD) of DLS-CSB. we don't want it to be propagated here. FSL is best used to have better communication.'' Domingo says. teachers . At about thesame time the SLLM also needed to change directions.Although it was initially intended as a tool for the developmentof self-esteem of the College’s Deaf students..This change in name showed that SSS’ view of the Deaf personwas not rooted in the medical perspective. where they werelabeled as “hearing-impaired” and anchoring their identity ontheir inability to hear.A report made by the SDEAS to one of their academic linkages. It was also during this year that the BAPDST programwas granted recognition by CHED and was offered by theCollege. the personnel involved with the Deaf program came torealize a number of things. and (2)the impact of having Deaf teachers teaching Deaf students.the Post-Secondary Education Network-International (PEN-International) makes mention that in 1993.hearing population of DLS-CSB has always had someknowledge of the presence of the Deaf community among them.e. The College’s administration. including (1) a certificate program isnot enough training to get the Deaf students employed. Andwith these thoughts the Bachelor in Applied Deaf Studies(BAPDST) was conceptualized with the core of the program being in education with several areas of specialization fromwhich to choose from. the Sign LanguageLearning Module (SLLM) was developed with the primary purpose of building the self-esteem of the Deaf students as theymanaged sign language classes for hearing students. but the Deaf person is recognized as amember of a Deaf community that has a unique identity.In 1994. culture. it was nowtransforming into a program with the potential to producehearing students with sign language skills that may eventually become service providers for the Deaf Community (i. wasconvinced by then SSS Director Dr.In 1996 DLS-CSB went through a restructuring and some of thechanges made paved the way for the School of Special Studies(SSS).and language (which is Filipino Sign Language). and later on CHED. Liza Martinez to change thename of the certificate course being offered from Certificate Program in Bookkeeping/Accounting for the HearingImpaired to Certificate Course in Bookkeeping/Accounting for the Deaf . The SLLM was nowcalled the Sign Language Learning Program or SLLP. BESTMade Leadership Training and the planning sessions of Student Council and other studentorganizations) still took place and the integration of the Deaf students into the Benildean community during these events weredone with the aid of sign language interpreters. performing arts. DLS-CSB’sSchool of Design and Arts and School of Management andInformation Technology assigned some of their faculty practitioners to be teachers at the SDEAS. the SDEAS also housed its own student services unitin order to remain responsive to Deaf needs. Also.for the Deaf. leadership training and involvement in studentorganizations. theBAPDST Program whittled down its offering of areas of specialization to two: Multimedia Arts and Entrepreneurship. In 1998 a proposal was made for the creationof the Counseling and Resource Unit for the Deaf (CRUDEAF)and the vision for this unit was not only to serve the Deaf students of the College but also to reach out to other members of the Deaf community through outreach activities in the field of guidance and counseling. In order to . Understandably the Deaf students of the Collegehad limited opportunities in these areas even if the institutionhad a unit in charge of providing such activities to the students.The opportunities to participate in student activities were then provided to the students of SSS through coordination withexternal agencies. And so beginning the school year of 2001 the School of Special Studies was renamed the Schoolof Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS) and was givena new structure.Student development not only happens inside the classroom butalso takes place during student activities such as sports. This time. aside from the academic program for the Deaf. and program direction.Admittedly this unit did not understand the needs of the Deaf student population and did not have any sign language skills. sign language interpreters). Based on the results of these consultationsrecommendations were made to the greater institution and thesewere linked to the directions of the College to transform into alearner-centered institution.g. Consultation meetings were held withthe Deaf students and the members of the faculty to gather andunderstand their opinion on the curriculum. student needs.In 2000 DLS-CSB again went through an evaluation andassessment of its programs and services and SSS also wentthrough a similar process. although a number of programs still opened its doors to the Deaf and mainstreamingin some activities (e.To meet the need for skilled teachers in these areas. the academic and formation units wereformally recognized in the organizational chart as the Office for Academics (O-AP) and the Office for Deaf Esteem andFormation (ODEAF). In 2003. the Center for Education Access andDevelopment (CEAD) was . The process for providing access andaccommodation services at this point was still very unclear withsign language interpreters rendering free service during eventswhen the organizers could not afford to pay the interpretinghonorarium and perennial last minute requests for interpretingservices when they would realize that Deaf students were participants of an event. as the result of the partnership between DLS-CSB andPEN-International. and Hearing. This wassupported by the College through their subsidy of the enrollmentfee of personnel who enrolled into the program. In 2007. a policy was approved by the institutions Academic Council putting structure into the request of interpreting services for activities and events within the College and providing aninterpreting honorarium scheme that was fair given the servicerendered by sign language interpreters.Recently. It was at this time that personnel fromthe different offices providing students with academic supportservices were becoming aware of the importance of knowingsign language in order to effectively deliver their services to themembers of the College’s Deaf Community thus the rise inenrollment of DLS-CSB personnel into the FSLLP.During this time the College was starting to become truly awareof the presence of the Deaf Community of the SDEAS and Deaf students were being invited to attend various activities likeseminars and workshops. Hard-of-Hearing. the Office for Partnership and Development (OPD)was added to the structure of the SDEAS functioning as theemployment and advocacy arm of the School to the larger Benildean Community as well as to the external agencies thatwere looking into providing the Deaf graduates of the Collegewith employment.In 2006. At about the same time the SLLP wasrenamed the Filipino Sign Language Learning Program(FSLLP) in line with its commitment to be an innovator in theFilipino Sign Language education for the Deaf. in a move to professionalizethe provision of interpreting services within the College.ensureeffective communication between the teachers and their Deaf students. and other institutional programs. leadership trainings. sign language interpreters were assigned to assist inthese classes. She is an alumna of the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS batch 2001) and the current Media Development Specialist of SDEAS' Center for Partnership and Development. and SDA withDLSCSB’s Vice Chancellor for Academics visited the NationalTechnical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) in early 2009 for aseries of discussions on the mainstream environment that NTIDand Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has and to conductobservations on how classes are conducted when there are anumber of Deaf persons in a largely hearing class. Bea Francisco. upon the recommendationof the human resource study that the College was undergoing. Leah Osido shares about her life experiences.At the start of school year 2009-2010. Source: http://www.the Offices under the SDEAS were renamed Centers and arenow called the Center for Academics. St.Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM) and theSchool of Design and Arts (SDA). relationship with God and family.created with the primary purpose of setting up support structures for the mainstream set-up thatqualified Deaf students can get into with the School of Hotel. A team comprised of theDeans and Chairpersons of SDEAS. Center for Deaf Esteemand Formation (C-DEAF) and the Center for Partnership andDevelopment (C-PD).edu/1421846/The_Use_of_Filipino_Sign_Langu age_in_Providing_Academic_Support_Services_to_Deaf_Students Local Studies 1. steps were taken to preparethese Schools for the eventual mainstreaming of Deaf learnersinto their programs and the initial step was to organize corefaculty members and academic support services personnel andenroll them in Filipino Sign Language classes. and design. Ms. Apart fromlearning the basic conversational signs. and commitment to serve the Deaf community. these groups will alsowork with their FSLLP teachers and with members fromSDEAS in developing technical signs for the vocabulary thatone often uses in the areas of culinary arts. Ms. hospitalitymanagement.academia. tourism. . during the 4th Day of Novena Masses. SHRIM. 2014. August 5. Once thegroup returned to their institution. Benilde Romancon. Joyce Dalawampu was her voice interpreter in the video above and the transcript of the sharing below was edited by Ms. I listen to their problems and try to give them positive advice. such as the environment and people around me. I learned a lot from that experience. my father who was a former OFW had a fatal stroke and passed away. I always ask God to help me continue living and not go back to my difficult life before. I wish to be of more value to my community by sharing my experience and professional ability and serving other people. In November. I encourage other people who had the same experience to be happy and try to change their life for the better. I also learned to become independent and do things on my own. In 2009. I wanted to help other people who are having problems and have negative perspective in life. I decided to change my perception of life and be more positive. . I was able to get a new job. by December of the same year. Unfortunately. I was tasked to share my reflection on the appreciation of the individual worth. volunteering. my mother lost her job after the typhoon Ondoy destroyed the factory she was working in. my friends.Good afternoon everyone. As a leader I wanted to be a good role model to other people and at the same time respect each person’s uniqueness. I believe God always gives me the grace to smile despite everything. I learned how to save money. I tried to search for ways to become more positive. People used to ask me why I was always frowning or sad and I realized I wasn’t aware that I was showing a negative disposition. I didn’t know what to do. I changed my lifestyle and routine and tried to appreciate the beauty of simple things. I had a lot of problems and I asked God for help to overcome them. I always show my appreciation of life by being cheerful and smiling at everyone. I am Leah Osido a graduate of Benilde and now work in SDEAS’s CPD. and the Deaf Community. my mother. I don’t see myself being negative but other people always tell me that I was. to budget and make do with what I have. So after some reflection. The challenge for me is to continue being strong in life. I have received a lot of positive blessings in my life. Let me share a little about my family. It was a very difficult time in my life and I was afraid. I believe and I am confident that I am helping my community by serving other Deaf people. especially helping out in the provinces. I am an only child and was very close to both my parents growing up. and then. Sign languages are based on spoken languages. The fundamental unit of structure is the Handshape. Spoken languages are based on classes of sound.com/ 2. along with the other parameters of Location.blogspot. . Sign languages have no written systems and are governed by purely visually motivated grammatical devices found in the Nonmanual signals of the face and body. There are over a hundred sign languages currently recognized around the world. Signing is gesture or only pantomime. Movement. That’s why it’s also important to have a positive perspective of one’s self. not quickly judging them. Sign languages have been demonstrated to be true languages at par with spoken languages. nurtured and passed on.What are sign languages? Common misconceptions: Signing is universal. sentences and discourse. How do sign languages differ from sign systems? Sign languages arise and grow naturally across time. because each one has his/her own family background.I believe the real challenge for us is to change our perspective. A sign language is not intrinsic to children with hearing loss but is among the set of learned behaviours within the community that is shared. Palm Orientation and Nonmanual signal. Sign languages possess their own structure distinct from spoken and written languages. These are further organized into units which carry meaning. understand and accept the uniqueness of other people. Source: http://deaf-studies. Remembering that each person is unique and God. set of values and culture. one’s identity and a firm hold on one’s values and principles.given. within communities of persons with hearing loss. while sign languages are built from visual units. are considered artificial since they did not arise spontaneously but were purposively created as educational tools in the development of literacy. In 2004. enabling it to respond to numerous current and emerging communication needs. Artificial sign systems follow the structure and grammar of spoken and written languages. It shows internal structure distinct from spoken and written languages. sign linguist Liza Martinez called attention to the massive and abrupt change of the core vocabulary of FSL. FSL has a hierarchy of linguistic structure based on a manual signal supplemented by additional linguistic information from No manual signals of the face and body. possible varieties have so far been proposed: an Eastern Visayas group (Leyte variety) and a Southern Luzon group (Southern Tagalog. It reflects rich regional diversity in its vocabulary and bears a historical imprint of language change over time since the early beginnings of manual communication in the 16th century in Leyte. It is based on English. From the lexicostatistical analysis of field data by the Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD). and other visual languages.Sign systems. and possesses productive processes. which has resulted from this linguistic pressure. FSL bears the historical imprint of heavy language pressure from contact with American Sign Language since the start of the century. on the other hand. The PFD historical analysis . It is the “same” as American Sign Language. What is Filipino Sign Language (FSL)? Common misconceptions about Filipino Sign Language: It is based on Filipino. Bicol and Palawan varieties). as well as with Manually Coded English since the 1970s. It is the ordered and rule-governed visual communication which has arisen naturally and embodies the cultural identity of the Filipino community of signers. Like other legitimate visual languages. the hard of hearing. unschooled deaf. internal structure (particularly on the inventory of handshapes and accompanying phonological processes) Sign formation or morphological processes (such as affixation. deaf indigenous peoples and so on. compounding.in 2007 used the lexicostatistical approach and verified vocabulary elements of indigenous as well as foreign origin. grammatical features and transformational rules. lexicalization of finger spelling. nurture and promote common values (including their visual language and cultural identity) as a claim for human rights and self-determination. Thai Sign Language and Kenyan Sign Language. the structure of FSL has changed significantly enough for it to be considered a distinct language from American Sign Language. numeral incorporation. There is substantial evidence of widespread FSL changes in the following: Overall form. LGBT deaf. including those who lost their hearing early or late in life (late-deafened adults. those with other impairments such as the deafblind. 6079? The bill is known as “An Act Declaring Filipino Sign Language as the National Sign Language of the Filipino Deaf and the Official . inflections and others Classifier predication. for example. Distinguished sign linguist James Woodward has been at the forefront of pioneering research to protect endangered indigenous sign languages (including FSL) and stem the strong tide of influence from foreign sign languages and sign systems. senior citizens). Who are the Filipino deaf? These are Filipinos who have hearing loss. How are FSL and American Sign Language related? FSL belongs to the branch of visual languages influenced by American Sign Language together with. However. Who are the Filipino Deaf? They are deaf Filipinos who use. share. enabling it to generate infinite forms of surface structure from patterns of deep structure What is the legal basis for House Bill No. those who communicate orally. g. the first Filipino hearing sign-language linguist who trained at the renowned Deaf institution. How much research has been done on FSL? Rosalinda Macaraig Ricasa. which invoke their right to language and communication in all aspects of their lives. as well as the signing by the Philippines of the 1994 Salamanca Statement on Special Needs Education. Gallaudet University (Washington). Liza Martinez. from constitutional status to specific legislation. such as those for Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education. Department of Education (DepEd) policies include the 1997 specific guidelines on the use of FSL as the medium of instruction for students with hearing impairment. and Mandating Its Use in Schools. Is this legal recognition of a national sign language taking place only in the Philippines? No. Social and Cultural Rights.” The State is duty-bound internationally and domestically to legislate HB 6079 or other laws written in the same spirit. . In 1990. Since that time. Recent or proposed DepEd policies.Language of Government in All Transactions Involving the Deaf. first presented in the late 1980s the observation of a possibly unique sign language in the Philippines. e. Forty-four countries are reported to have various levels of formal recognition for their sign languages. already incorporate principles of full accessibility. distinct from American Sign Language. inclusion and participation of children with disabilities. International commitments include its ratification of UN core treaties. the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Convention on Economic. the K-12 bill and the Early Years Act. Broadcast Media and Workplaces. the second Filipino hearing sign-language linguist who trained at the same Deaf university. polices or guidelines. Sign language recognition continues to be an area of active lobbying with the government for Deaf communities worldwide. conducted the first linguistic inquiry in the country. over 80 studies on the structure and use of FSL have been undertaken and published or presented in local and international forums. . For a bilingual-bicultual goal in Deaf education. Cambodia and Hong Kong through the support of Nippon Foundation. Dr. The most frequent use of the spoken language is English.e. human rights and machine intelligence/sign language recognition. a four-country study with Vietnam. Philippine studies. How are deaf children taught in public schools? The National Sign Language Committee collected and evaluated videotape samples of over 150 hearing teachers in nine regions. which produced the Status Report on the Use of Sign Language in the Philippines (with principal support from the Gallaudet University Alumni Association through the Laurent Clerc Cultural Fund) and the Practical Dictionaries Project. FSL). other Philippine languages and English shall still also be taught.a). Trainers for the latter project were Dr. the first language (L1) is a fully accessible visual language (i. translation studies.3 emphasizes that “States Parties shall enable persons with disabilities to learn life and social development skills to facilitate their full and equal participation in . literature and culture. On education. Section 4 (1) of the bill states that the reading and writing of Filipino.These span the fields of sign language linguistics. including the freedom to make one’s own choices (Article 3. speaking and signing at the same time). Yutaka Osugi (a Deaf sign linguist from Japan) and Dr. lexicography and corpus. Shall the legal recognition of FSL as the national sign language conflict with individual autonomy? No. James Woodward. early childhood development. The data show typically Sign Supported Speech or Simultaneous Communication (i. history. mixed with either Filipino or Cebuano. sign language interpreting. Will HB 6079 hinder the development of literacy? No.. and the second language (L2) is a written language.e. language policy. A fundamental principle of the UNCRPD is individual autonomy. Article 24. The Philippine Federation of the Deaf was the lead for the National Sign Language Committee. education. Liza Martinez. is delivered in the most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication for the individual.b. However. To this end.c in no way diminish State commitment to clearly promote and protect sign language and deaf culture. these must satisfy the requirements for fully inclusive education and maximum development. in pursuit of their goals and mandates. It shall still need to demonstrate how it is implementing Articles 21. Article 21. Part (c) instructs the State to make sure that schools. 24.e of the UNCRPD. e. it is not exclusive) for the directive to promote this linguistic identity. 30.b.e.b directs the State to guard the freedom of expression and access to information of persons with disabilities of all forms of communication “of their choice. Notable is the use of the word “including” in the first paragraph (meaning.” Part (b) is a clear directive to facilitate and promote the linguistic identity of the community (i.” while also recognizing and promoting the use of sign languages (21. This appears to give schools latitude in the choice and delivery through the use of various languages. States Parties shall take appropriate measures. FSL).b.4 and 9.e). including: (b) Facilitating the learning of sign language and the promotion of the linguistic identity of the deaf community. deaf or deafblind. who are blind.3.education and as members of the community.e). The most critical point here is State responsibility.. 30. and in particular children. It shall also be . therefore. What will happen if HB 6079 does not become a law? State responsibility remains clear and does not change. clearly demonstrate that it is carrying out its duty to facilitate and promote the linguistic and cultural identity of the community (Articles 21. Articles 21.b. offer education that is appropriate and maximizes academic and social development.b and 24.3. and in environments which maximize academic and social development.2. 24. The State must. The party to the convention is the Philippine state and not any stakeholder.2.3. e. modes and means. (c) Ensuring that the education of persons.4) and provide full accessibility through sign language interpretation (Article 9. and stab the air. FSL is not American Sign Language (ASL). Will the mandatory use of FSL be a barrier to unschooled deaf Filipinos? No.accountable for the nearly two decades of neglect of its commitment to the 1994 Salamanca Statement to ensure access through a national sign language. FSL is the next most efficient and effective interface in communication even with a deaf person who has been isolated and is unable to use the typical sign communication of the community. shall be incomprehensible to such deaf persons.net/41909/primer-on-filipino-signlanguage w 3. they’re communicating in Filipino Sign Language (FSL). which is why members were shocked when Department of Education (DepEd) undersecretary Yolanda Quijano endorsed Signed Exact English (SEE). and NGOs.and alphabet-/spelling-based. which are sound.” not small “d” — identity. Fingers animated by meaning slice. Chances are. Noses scrunch.inquirer. Existing policies of the DepEd and the judiciary relating to sign language and accessibility must still be fully implemented according to the principles and obligations of the UNCRPD. flick. Artificial sign systems. Source: http://opinion.The Unspoken Language EAVESDROPPING is despicable but I do it all the time. FSL is FSL and it is a defining part of the Filipino Deaf — big “D. cheeks puff out. I’m riveted by their conversation and my eyes follow their hands as they dance in space. a “unique visual language” that has its own grammar and syntax. When I see deaf people “talking” on the train. lips purse and wiggle about. Not a word is spoken but a lot is said. for classroom use during a forum attended by public and private school teachers. I can’t help myself. FSL is not gesture or pantomime. although it cannot deny that it was influenced by ASL. eyebrows rise and fall. . a manually coded version of spoken English. neither is FSL the sign equivalent of spoken Tagalog or Filipino. Because of its fully visual nature. a member of the World Federation of the Deaf and the national Deaf advocacy organization composed of 18 member Deaf organizations in 14 regions. for example — and feel the vibrations made by loud sounds.“It was like a bomb.2 dB at a 2006 gig. which means he lost his hearing after he learned to speak. The interview was conducted without the aid of an interpreter. secretary of the Philippine Federation of the Deaf. “I don’t know. drafted a resolution this August claiming “the fundamental human rights to language. . which defines itself as a cultural and linguistic minority fighting for the right to use FSL. not all deaf Filipinos are members of the Filipino Deaf community. (PFD).” There are several degrees of hearing loss. In response to Ms. Quijano made her controversial statement. a moderately deaf person has difficulty following close-range conversations and has a hearing threshold of 40-60 dB. a severely deaf person can hear only extremely loud noises — a chainsaw. Mr. Normal conversation is 60-70 dB. BusinessWorld wrote its questions and comments down. the native sign language that it knows. understands. The people in the final group have a hearing threshold of greater than 90 dB. I can’t hear myself. a conservative estimate. who was present when Ms. his world was silent. Col Hatchman of Dirty Skanks holds the Guinness Book of World Records record for “loudest drummer” when he hit a peak reading of 137. In answer to an observation that he spoke well. At the age of nine. finally. a mildly deaf person cannot hear whispered conversations and has a hearing threshold of 20-40 decibels (dB). Inc. he answered in a quiet voice. and identifies with the most. Filipinos with hearing loss account for 2% of the population. Lintag is a post-lingual Deaf person. a person with severe hearing loss can only hear loud noises such as the racket made by a vacuum cleaner or lawn mower at close range. a level that’s around 10 to 40 decibels lower than a live rock concert (it depends on which band is playing). he shrugged and smiled. his hearing gradually started to weaken and by the time he turned 15. culture. PFD. representing a hearing threshold of 60-90 dB. However.” said George Lintag. For quick reference. Quijano’s endorsement of SEE. in accordance with the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability. And the most important part of our culture is our language.” “We are proud of our culture. FSL is a true language According to Dr.” said Mr. and institute. the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. FSL is not simply a dialect of American Sign Language (ASL). FSL is one of about a hundred natural sign languages recognized to be linguistically distinct from each other at all levels of linguistic structure (phonology. Martinez. a hearing sign language linguist who is founder and director of Philippine Deaf Resource Center (PDRC). answers many of the questions a hearing person might have about a visual language. Martinez cites archival documents dating back to the 16th-17th century as critical evidence that sign language existed in the Philippines before American colonization. and only those who know sign languages from the same branch or family will be able to understand each other right off the bat. morphology. Liza B. Lintag. for example. syntax and discourse). Taiwanese Sign . culture. We want to preserve our culture. An Introduction to Filipino Sign Language. because they’re related though history and development. the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education (1994). Ms. Separate accounts written by Jesuit priests Gregorio Lopez and Pedro Chirino describe mutes who used signs to communicate.participation and self-determination for all Deaf Filipinos. participation and self-determination of Deaf Filipinos.” The PFD called on the DepEd to “halt the violation of the rights to language. a multivolume series published in 2004 by PDRC and PFD. Sign languages are as different from each other as spoken ones. though it does borrow heavily from it. which is FSL. facilitate and promote all appropriate measures to guarantee the full enjoyment of these rights. and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It’s easy to “get” FSL if you know ASL. each sign in FSL has five components. even your gender. The DepEd. Each individual has his or her own ‘dialect. an imaginary three-dimensional region in front of the user. prescribed that local sign language — “Pilipino Sign Language” — be used as the language of instruction for the hearing impaired. is one of them. Just as there is “swardspeak” in spoken language. pizzazz. How you sign tells a lot about who you are: your age. “Particular vocabularies are distinct for certain age groups and social classes. As in ASL.) Eloquence. uses handshapes that are alien to FSL: the raised middle finger in the sign for “brother” and the folded pinky in the sign for “airplane.Language. location. which was already mentioned. gracefully or abruptly. Handshape. and nonmanual signals. The other four are palm orientation. whispering. educational attainment. you can always sign underneath your shirt so that your conversation is hidden from prying eyes. The PFD’s resolution is only the latest and. is demonstrated by the wide use of vocabulary and complex sentence structure. “Shouting” entails taking up a larger area of signing space. a smaller area.) “As in any language. Martinez.’” said Ms. or irony are conveyed through nonmanual signals such as facial expressions and body movements.” among others. and disappear. their request is backed by several local and international declarations.” Members of the Filipino Deaf community have repeatedly said that they would rather be taught in FSL. Nuances such as tone. Change any one of these five components and the meaning of the sign changes as well. as mentioned. gay signs have more…. in the 1980s. sarcasm. change. meanwhile. there is the whole range of human diversity in terms of signing styles. movement. Hands can move rapidly or slowly. (If the need for privacy is great. new vocabularies emerge. there is also gay FSL (you’ll know it when you see it. just the same as any language. . Like other living languages. principal of PSD. adopted by 92 governments (the Philippines included) and 25 international organizations in 1994 read. elementary. Article 24 of the Convention states that signatories shall facilitate “the learning of sign language and the promotion of the linguistic identity of the deaf community. complemented by Signed English. and writing “We are not here to teach signs.” said Yolanda Capulong. “Our students are here to learn the parts of the body and the parts of the plant. reading.” The language of instruction in PSD is English. should be recognized and provision to ensure that all deaf persons have access to education in their national sign language. Signed English is one of several “visual codes” for representing spoken English. Finland in 1987 said that “the distinct national sign languages of indigenous deaf populations should officially be recognized as their natural language of right for direct communication” and that “teachers of the deaf learn and use the accepted indigenous sign language as the primary language of instruction. They are here to learn to read and write. and secondary). in part: “Educational policies should take full account of individual differences and situations. We are here to teach concepts. The importance of sign language as the medium of communication among the deaf. Ms.” Why then.” In 2007. . which offers three levels of schooling (pre-elementary. the Philippines became one 82 signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).The Formal Resolution adopted by the World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf in Helsinki.” The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education. the use of SEE in the Miriam College — Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf (MC-SAID)? Why then. the use of Signed English (a system that is simpler than SEE) in the Philippine School for the Deaf (PSD)? Visual codes. a “system of manual communication” that “translates” spoken English into signs. for example. Quijano’s endorsement of Signed Exact English? Why then. PSD adheres to the Total Communication Philosophy. she continued.” said Ms. inside a classroom. such as autism and cerebral palsy. will help them read and write. PSD believes in Simultaneous Communication — signing and speaking at the same time. and what shall we teach deaf children?” FSL relates to the second issue. including the manifestation of a language. will help students grasp the syntax of English. “Concepts cannot be taught without a common language. the School split into two entities: PSD and the Philippine School for the Blind. “We’re trying to serve a very diverse population with different needs.” she said. Since PSD is a national school. this means helping them join regular classes based on their skills and intellectual abilities.” Using Signed English. In another sense. “However. To this end. Capulong. Sign what you say Parents who were not satisfied with the education offered at PSD established the Miriam College – Southeast Asian Institute for the . Ohio. ranging from the mildly deaf to the severely deaf.” said Ms. it has 603 students. In the education setting. It was established in 1907 as the School for the Deaf and the Blind by Delia Delight Rice of Columbus. How can you convert a gestural language into a written language?. Where other schools are either purely oral (meaning students must lip read and undergo auditory training so that they can speak) or purely manual. in turn. The PSD principal made it clear that she has no problem with FSL. which. You have to standardize things.” she asked. how shall we teach deaf children. you have to use a system.The history of PSD goes back more than a hundred years. PSD also accepts children with other disabilities and special needs. which means that it uses a combination of communication modes in its classes. “There are three big issues in the education of the deaf: where shall we teach deaf children. Capulong. “mainstreaming” refers to becoming part of the larger. “FSL is gestural like any sign language. “It’s okay. In 1963. it’s fine. Today. the medium of instruction has always been a concern. PSD’s goal is to “mainstream” its deaf students. hearing society. Basically. MC-SAID’s graduates are the best arguments for using SEE. “They can both be functional and useful for any deaf child.” said Carol Ui. an even more precise visual code for spoken English than Signed English. Diliman. Every morpheme in spoken English has an equivalent sign in SEE: verbs must be conjugated. meaning there are appropriate gestures that tell you whether a verb is in the progressive form (“ing”) or the past tense (“-ed”). MC-SAID principal. “But again. everything that is said is exactly signed (hence the name). that doesn’t mean that FSL cannot be used in other contexts. knowing the rules of English (which is the closest the world has to a lingua franca). It makes me proud as a teacher to see them engaged. adding that literacy is reading and writing. There’s Jemima Ming Go. “An educator’s concern is literacy and I believe that this is what SEE can give to our deaf students. which teaches pre-school to secondary levels. It was a forerunner in adopting the Total Communication Philosophy. College of Fine Arts last year. neither are affixes.” . Ui.Deaf (MC-SAID). I’ve seen how the use of this sign system has helped our graduates. Not any deaf person can do [what they’re doing]. “The advantages of SEE are many. many Deaf leaders now advocating for the use of FSL were products of SEE. in 1974. “When we’re talking about classroom situation.” said Ms.” She continued that the use of SEE does not exclude FSL.” The MC-SAID principal continued that seeing how well the system has worked for them just bolsters the case for SEE. But unlike PSD. I really believe that we should use SEE. articles and prepositions are not skipped. MC-SAID used and still uses Signed Exact English. who graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines.” she said. “I think that one of the reasons they can engage intellectually in these conversations and discussions about FSL and SEE is that they have command over both languages [FSL and SEE]. “That they favor FSL over SEE is not really an issue with me.” For Ms. and. therefore. As a matter of fact. Ui. ” he said. Domingo said” in this article instead of “Mr. Mr. these are my thoughts and not the interpreter’s. who lost his hearing pre-lingually. Mr.A learner-centered environment Raphael “Raphy” Domingo is a Deaf leader who works as coordinator of Education Access for the Deaf at the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB)-Center for Education Access and Development (CEAD).” (Later on in the interview. Domingo said through an interpreter. copy. in general. which has a Multimedia Arts track and a Business Entrepreneurship track. SEE entails signing each word — “what.” he said. or whatever spoken language. Domingo requested that BusinessWorld use “Mr. “Before learning English. copy without understanding anything. He was president of the PFD from 1999-2003 and a major contributor to An Introduction to Filipino Sign Language.” . There are more Deaf teachers in the school than hearing teachers. Domingo said through an interpreter. “The problem is that teachers keep using ‘hearing’ methods to teach us.” “This is my voice.” Mr. use their eyes to understand the world. adding that the phrase “through an interpreter” could be used once as a compromise. Tagalog. The deaf.” and “name” — plus the question mark at the end of the interrogative sentence. which is FSL. Domingo stressed that it’s not a shortcut but a visual concept. “It is the natural language of the Filipino Deaf community. “FSL is our language. Mr. Domingo. the sign for “name” and a puzzled facial expression suffices.) To illustrate how FSL is different from SEE. DLS-CSB uses FSL in its School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS).” “is. Communication is one way and there’s no feedback. It has to be more visual. he used the question “What is your name?” as an example. being fluent in FSL and English. is bilingual. In FSL. the Deaf should first learn their own language. They bombard the Deaf with so many written words and we just copy.” “your. “The same is not true for the pre-lingual deaf. yes.php? section=Weekender&title=The-unspoken-language&id=37560 4.” It is better for a deaf child to learn FSL. Source: http://www. then we can adjust the environment so that they can access the same things hearing people have access to.” said Ms.” One way of “adjusting the environment” is using FSL.” Imagine a deaf infant born in a hearing world.Theresa Christine “Techie” Benitez-dela Torre. MANILA.” Ms. All we want is for them to have choices and the power to make them. “It should not be the other way around. Their identity is not their hearing ability. “If we understand the context of the deaf. Philippines — as the country celebrates Buwan ng Wika this month. “From day one. “Oral-based languages are learned in an auditory manner. and use it as a bridge to a second. Hearing and post-lingual deaf people already have the foundations they need in their brain to understand the rules.ph/content. which has always addressed only the needs of hearing people. According to Angelo Garcia of Manila Bulletin Philippines. director of CEAD and dean of SDEAS from 2002-2009. a visual and kinesthetic language that is the natural language of the Deaf. There is a barrier — a barrier that is not necessarily a product of his deafness but a product of his hearing environment. “Deaf people cannot hear.” she said.” said the CEAD director. this baby is isolated and cut off. oral-based language such as English. “It’s difficult when you force an oral-based reality on those who are deaf. Benitez-dela Torre. You have to understand it from a sociocultural perspective.bworld. she continued. but that does not define their personhood. They have their own unique experiences. Benitez-dela Torre said.com. said that DLS-CSB uses FSL because it is “learner-centered.” “You have to see it from the view of the students. a sector of society that has been lobbying for the . leaders of the Filipino deaf community are optimistic about the progress they are making. HB 4121. ASL has since influenced FSL. The Filipino deaf community is currently supporting lawmakers. we are very optimistic. syntax. structure. 5. The progress has beenvery tremendous especially this year. we want the same mother tongue-based instruction in education. Education Access for the Deaf coordinator. It’s also the mark of identity of deaf Filipinos. What’s important is we have strong support. pushes for the use of sign language interpretation inset in television news programs. The same with FSL. We want to emphasize that the deaf people also need the help of the hearing community in this advocacy. “FSL is a unique language. we have a strong advocacy.” explains Mackie Calbay. through the help of Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Party List representative Antonio Tinio and Rep. De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Center for Education Access and Development (CEAD). while HB 4631 is a bill that would give access to sign language interpreters in Philippine courts.” shares Raphael Domingo. As these Bills gain traction. in passing several relevant House bills to benefit their stakeholders. Teddy Casiño. Among them is House Bill (HB) 6079 which pushes for the declaration of FSL as the national sign language of the Filipino deaf.recognition of the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) is reiterating its call. program coordinator of DLS-CSB School of Deaf Education and Applied (SDEAS) Deaf Advocacy. THE UNIQUE FILIPINO SIGN LANGUAGE In 1907. the Filipino sign language. now known as the Philippine School for the Deaf. . on the other hand. It has its own grammar. There’s a lot of research and a lot of work to be done. which is different from the spoken language. “Yes. the American Sign Language (ASL) was introduced to the Filipino deaf community through the School for the Deaf and Blind. For example here in the Philippines.” Lee says. a term ASL does not have because they don’t experience it. sign languages differ depending on its use and the country’s culture. “A lot of deaf people did not realize that they are using FSL. facial expression. which is FSL. says that the Filipino deaf community did not even know that FSL existed. Lee. So they would convert signing exact English (SEE). faculty member of the Filipino Sign Language Learning Program of SDEAS. . movement. both deaf and hearing. But the conversation and discourse are different depending on the culture. hand location. But if a deaf person converses with another deaf person then they will use the more natural language. we have a sign for flooding inside the house. Naturally. In terms of grammar.” explains Domingo. about 60 percent of deaf Filipinos were using ASL while 40 percent used FSL. president of the Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD). But like any other language. and palm orientation. they recorded that about 54 percent of deaf Filipinos use FSL compared to ASL. DLS-CSB SDEAS is known for its use of FSL and advocates the use of the local language in the school and community. if they are conversing among themselves they are going to be using FSL but if a deaf person would have to communicate with a hearing person.FSL is believed to be part of the French Sign Language family. STRONGER SUPPORT FOR FSL Rey Alfred Lee. positioning. are surprised to discover that there is an FSL. there’s an automatic switching of the language. “ASL has a big influence on FSL. says that most of his students. the sign language where most sign languages are derived from. which can be traced back to the history of the Philippines. who is also a member of the Special Education (SpEd) Council of the Department of Education (DepEd). He explains that the use of FSL by deaf Filipinos has increased through the years. there are differences and similarities between FSL and ASL. Today. including ASL. In 2007. They know ASL but in reality they are using FSL. There are similarities in terms of hand shapes. They are also in talks with the Professional Regulation Commission in licensing deaf teacher assistants to provide them with the recognition and right to benefits they duly deserve. PROUD TO BE DEAF. Hopefully in terms of the usage of FSL. PROUD OF FSL These deaf community leaders hope that more deaf Filipinos recognize FSL. in line with DepEd’s K to 12 curriculum. however they are not readily accepting. FSL IN SCHOOLS One of the main objectives of the deaf community is to push FSL in schools and make it the medium of instruction for deaf students. Currently. Most SpEd schools today use ASL. SpEd courses in colleges and universities also do not offer FSL in their curriculums “The Special Education Council has made a proposal to hire deaf teacher assistants for hearing teachers who do not know sign language. “The SpEd teachers are aware of the need. There are many organizations that don’t use FSL in their curriculum. The deaf assistants will facilitate communication in the classroom. Hopefully. DepEd is happy about that.” Domingo says. it will come soon but we’ll have to work double time. We cannot blame them because the SpEd courses do not include FSL courses in their curriculum. Domingo says that they are also now working on the curriculum for the deaf. their native language. The influence of the usage of FSL is slowly making waves. the Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD) is designing an FSL curriculum for the SpEd course in higher education. PFD will also soon work with the Japan Ministry of Education to further enhance FSL as a language. So that means the SpEd teachers have no choice but to learn sign language by themselves. Although Domingo says that SpEd teachers are not to be blamed.” Domingo says. “SDEAS is advocating the use of FSL in the community. through that they could foster as sense of community and also .” Lee shares.“The support for FSL is now stronger. where is your own language? We’re proud that this is our language.” Calbay says. this is what we know. other countries will look down at us. If some people don’t take FSL seriously. fighting for their identity. Out of respect for the deaf Filipino culture we want FSL to be used here. FSL is best used to have better communication. being a colonial language. This is FSL. It’s part of our own language. And they will not stop to work to further the cause of their advocacy. “ASL. It’s where we belong.promote excellence in deaf education. Conceptual Model of the Study Input Process Output Proposal Involvement of decision making Time Transparency Resources Planning Team Work Effective methods Review Guides/Instructi on Program Effectiveness of researching and conducting time to work on every single part of the system and coming up a helpful idea for creating and developing the said system/applicati on. because this is what we use. After all. we don’t want it to be propagated here.” Domingo says. the deaf community is fighting for their language. . We should be using a language we could understand. That’s how we communicate and understand each other. it’s Filipino. severe or profound. as opposed to acoustically conveyed sound patterns. and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's thoughts. which is why linguists consider both to be natural languages. Sign Language: A language which uses manual communication and body language to convey meaning. A patient with mild hearing impairment may have problems understanding speech. but there are also some significant differences between signed and spoken languages. orientation and movement of the hands. They share many similarities with spoken languages (sometimes called "oral languages". . This can involve simultaneously combining hand shapes. especially if there is a lot of noise around. Some people are severely deaf and depend on lip-reading when communicating with others. arms or body.Operational Definition of Terms Deaf/Hearing loss: Symptoms may be mild. while those with moderate deafness may need a hearing aid. which depend primarily on sound). moderate. Chapter 3: Research Methodology Research Design USE CASE Select a Category Tutorial Quiz Deaf Person See results . Formulating the technical approach. Program developing Animating the dummy for visual presentation GRAPHICS/ANIMATION Images.Family and friends Entity Relationship Diagram Context Diagram Planning out the Tutorial layout and platform for Project Development animation for the development. and unity package Audio and sounds Logo layout Functional reviews Creating quiz . Tutorial and quiz level design. dummy DATA GATHERING Identifying the clients used signPRODUCTION language in the Philippines. files. TESTING Function testing System tutorial/quiz testing Functionalities testing DesignWork and graphic Plan testing Novemb Decemb Janua Februar Marc Reporting of error er er ry y h issues Activity/Wor 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 k Planning the system Gathering requiremen ts Coding Designing the system Testing Fixing errors / Bugs Start End . Operation and Testing Procedure During the test of the integration of the application. Evaluation Procedure . when errors occurred such debugging during implementation. the programmers as well tested if the intended output meets the desired performance of the F-Xinulator application. Maintaining the system is always the priority. Having the organized interface form and also contents of the application can be easily understood to avoid difficulty on using the application. Maintainability: can be maintained easily with the use of the software by the programmers .F-Xinulator can be evaluated but only its current progress. Functionality: has different features that support the actual sign language Testability: Highly responsive and easy to use.