ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro urged lawmakers to allocate more funds for the deaf to enable concerned agencies to implement the Filipino Sign Language Law.

“The passage of RA 11106 or the Filipino Sign Language Act was a result of the long struggle and collective push and campaign of the deaf community through ACT Teachers Party-list. With the passage of the law, we now hope for Congress to allocate adequate funds for the spending of agencies for the implementation of the FSL,” Castro said.

She added that all government agencies were mandated to spend at least one percent of their annual budget for persons with disabilities.

Castro said if all government agencies complied with their obligation, around P297 million would be raised for the implementation of the Sign Language law.

This funding could be used for programs to advance the education, health, and other social services for the deaf.

The Philippine Federation of the Deaf said that one out of 10 persons with disabilities had hearing impairment.

Castro said that 16 government agencies including State Universities and Colleges, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, Commission on Human Rights, Council for the Welfare of Children, Council for the Welfare of Children, Philippine Commission on Women, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Local Government Academy, National Council for Children’s Television, Early Childhood Care and Development Council should help implement the law.

“Adequately funding this law and ensuring that the deaf community has access to basic social services from government will allow them to have full and equal participation in society by enabling the acquisition of life and social development skills through the use of Filipino Sign Language as the language of instruction, in an environment which respects their identity and distinct capabilities,” the lawmaker stressed.

Castro lamented that the implementing rules and regulations of the law have yet to be crafted two years after its enactment.