THE House of Representatives’ Special Committee on Persons with Disabilities adopted a resolution that seeks an inquiry into the delayed implementation of the Filipino Sign Laguage Act.

The panel chaired by Negros Occidental Rep. Ma. Lourdes Arroyo approved House Resolution 955 directing the Inter-Agency Council created under Republic Act 11106 or the Filipino Sign Language Act to submit a comprehensive report on the monitoring and implementation of the law.

Arroyo said that the Filipino Sign Language Law brought hopes of alleviation and empowerment.

“There should be proper implementation which starts with promulgation of its implementing rules and regulations,” she added.

Arroyo’s panel wanted to probe the delay in the issuance of the law’s IRR.

In her sponsorship speech, the lawmaker said the sector with hearing impairment was gravely affected by the lack of access to information during the pandemic.

“Conversely, the hearing impaired have also experienced the inability to communicate their thoughts, their questions, their needs because of the lack of sign language interpreters,” she said.

Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino Komisyoner Benjamin Mendillo told the panel that his agency is waiting for the primary stakeholders to submit their comments to the draft IRR.

Under the FSL law, the KWF is the lead agency to facilitate the creation of the FSL IRR through an inter-agency council, which is composed of various agencies and stakeholders.

Mendillo said they need the inputs of primary stakeholders like the Department of Justice and the Supreme Court because they use interpreters during hearings.