Support Filipino Sign Language Act of 2012 - House Bill 6079

Dear Juan Luna, Anika and others,

I am Theresa Christine Benitez-dela Torre, my Deaf students and colleagues know me as Techie that is why I used that as my signature.

You wrote honest comments. You expressed your reasons. Your explanation helped me understand your view. It is a teacher’s view worried about what any student should learn. Or that they will not learn anything you planned out for them. Deaf people are worried too. They were not happy with their basic education. They faced now the outcomes of that education. They don’t want Deaf children to have the same future.

I’m sure you have your own best and worst teachers. I had my own. The Deaf adults had their own. This is why the Deaf people’s comments are all very honest too. They expressed their reasons. I hope you can see and feel what they experienced.

Do they blame you? Were you their teacher? If not you, do they blame our fellow educators older than us? We know they worked hard, sacrificed and gave their best to help their Deaf kids learn how to learn and be better integrated in hearing society. But lets not generalize. Deaf people know them. They love them. They know the teachers, school administrators and parents who were sincere and helped them to feel better and learn. They remember them. They are thankful for them. They go back to them to give thanks. They share their happy stories to others.

But there are horror stories. Lets not generalize. But they are real. Deaf students remember them. They remember with pain and anger. I did counseling for 10 years. I am also a teacher. I used signed exact English before, but I could not understand them. They could not understand me. We could not understand each other beyond the shallow and short messages we sent each other. I was assigned to help them, but my help could not reach them because my lack of knowledge and acceptance of their uniqueness created a barrier.

But I was glad I listened to my students. I learned their language. I am thankful for the Deaf adults in my class (yes I had some between 25-35 and a 45 yr old then) who told me that for me to be able to do my job well, I have to use their language and learn it from them. And I did. It became my bridge to understand their stories. I understood what they experienced growing up Deaf in their schools and families -the difficulties, discrimination, ridicule and isolation. They remember their educational environment molded them to see selves as unworthy. They became very sensitive and overly suspicious, and reactive. They parrot back knowledge but mind empty because no real and deep learning was occuring.

As our students, they felt gladness to discover they have rights and deserved better education. But they felt sad that they did not know then. They felt robbed of opportunity to develop full potential. Let us not generalize. Yes. But these stories are real. There are more. And what’s teaching English and using signed English got to do with these sad stories? Read the comments of Deaf people here. They give you a view of their suffering.

Yes its unfair to generalize. But we have to acknowledge and understand what kind of education that was not helpful to Deaf people. We need to understand how to improve it. Of course there are happy stories...we ask Deaf people to please share. We can create another section on celebration of excellent and caring teachers who improved Deaf life in education as reported by Deaf people. We have to give thanks to the teachers who helped, sacrificed and gave their best to help their Deaf students learn better and do better.

But we can’t ignore Deaf stories about the kind of education that did not give them what they needed to be fully included in society. We can’t ignore Deaf people's request for a better situation. Their education made them feel very inferior. Its not English per se that made things bad. Its how English was taught to them. Its how they were taught that made them feel they are inferior. Again its not a generalization but it is a reality that cannot be ignored.

Some are saying FSL is just for social communication is okay but not for academic purposes. Isn’t that how it has been in the current state of Deaf education? FSL is not used in the classrooms all this time. So where are the Deaf people now in their English language competencies? Where are they now in their higher education and employment? Where are the Deaf lawyers, doctors, teachers, linguists, writers, engineers, scientists, political leaders, business leaders? Don’t Deaf kids and the Deaf adults have the equal right to become these professionals? What happened in their education that prevented them from pursuing these careers?

This is the very heart of their worries. The Deaf children of today will just experience the same challenges the Deaf adults of today are experiencing- no higher education access, very limited employment, very low self esteem, etc. Let us not generalize you say, there is a need to prove it with research...well, yeah we can do that...and we are doing it now with Deaf people getting involved in various research undertaking on FSL, employment, education, etc.

But going back, some say that FSL is not a language, but American Sign Language is. Some say they use ASL in teaching, but not FSL. ASL is natural sign language of American Deaf people, not Filipino Deaf people. But some ASL vocabulary are the same same with FSL vocabulary. Some different. But both are natural sign languages of Deaf communities. ASL is not signed English language. SEE is not a language, but a system to teach the English language. Hearing people who don’t understand true nature of FSL and ASL are just thinking American way is superior, Filipino way is inferior.

FSL is clear to Deaf people and advocates. They also know what ASL’s true way of signing. Hearing people who don’t believe in Deaf linguistic identity do not know ASL from FSL. They just use signs following English grammar. They sign exact English (SEE). I am constantly learning about FSL way, but I can see the difference between true natural FSL and what is signed exact English (SEE). True natural ASL is beautiful like true natural FSL. But FSL is not clear to many hearing teachers. This is why Br. Armin’s letter requested Congress to clearly define what FSL truly means so hearing teachers will understand. His request for clarification is to help hearing teachers understand and not to justify the validity of the FSL.

To know more about the validity of the natural language of the Deaf, check this http://sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/pdf/Natural%20Sign%20Languages.pdf%20.pdf

Deaf adults want education of Deaf children to improve. Parents fear their children’s future. Do Deaf adults have right to define the future of Deaf children even if the parents wants a different one? We all have rights. But hearing teachers and hearing parents have not experienced the Deaf life. And the Deaf adults who were Deaf children before, do not want the same educational experience for Deaf children today and the future Deaf children. They want a better future for them. Please listen to their stories. They have much to share, we have much to learn. And together if we understand each other, we can all work together to improve Deaf lives.

A dear parent asked will FSL feed her child’s stomach? FSL will help feed and nurture their minds and build intellectual foundation to learn a 2nd and a 3rd language. Their minds learn, become analytical and creative. They will have meaningful education. Not just rote memorization of words and meaning. Passion to learn science, math, literature, and english will increase; they will excel as a student and in their chosen careers, find the right job, be an expert. FSL will also strengthen their socio-emotional intelligence. And quite literally, yes FSL can feed their stomach. They can become FSL teachers and teach Deaf and hearing people. They will get teachers’ salary like you. And their students will understand Deaf rights.  Their students will help in Deaf rights for education, employment, etc. and there will be more Deaf children greater mental and emotional intelligence and high self esteem, because they will feel good being themselves and have full access to educational opportunities, learn and interact with others using their own natural sign language.

I am an educator too. I have not taught in elementary. Only Deaf college students for 10 years in self-contained classes as well as handled self-esteem improvement and development programs and provided counseling services to Deaf youth, their parents and to Deaf peers. My next assignments included school leadership roles in both academic and non academic support services, including services for inclusion and success in lucrative employment opportunities after college.

I had 12 years experience in those leadership roles. All in all about 22 years in Education. I’m truly glad that those years were spent in close partnership with Deaf people. Their experiences have helped me and my co-teachers and co-leaders understand the barriers they faced and how we can improve their education. Its the same partnership helping me and my team now to make sure the improvements we are doing in educational environments in secondary and tertiary education-both self contained and inclusive settings remain relevant and supportive of Deaf people’s rights.

I understand that teaching the Deaf in elementary is different from teaching the Deaf in HS and college. You deal with Deaf children who because of their age they are truly dependent on you and the people around them. But like all children, they grow up and discover that they have rights and can make mature and intelligent choices on what they want for themselves, and what they want to do to help the Deaf children. And they want to make things better by making sure FSL will have a major role in Deaf education and that they are able to fully participate in this process.

Is it right to demand that? Is it right to prioritize that? Yes and that is my stand and I fully support the aspirations of Deaf people and I have spent 22 years of my life making sure I am a partner and not a barrier to the realization of their aspirations. Will it convince you? I hope so. But it would be good to know that the Philippine government has recognized that Deaf people have equal rights with everyone and that is covered by the Philippine Constitution, by the Magna Carta for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilites (UNCRPD).

The Philippine Government signed an agreement to uphold the rights of PWDs, and their right to their own language (and a host of other human rights) is stipulated in it. It is the obligation of the Philippine government to respect, protect and uphold the rights of Deaf people. The government is accountable for its action and nonaction to respect, protect and uphold Deaf people’s rights. And everything we do, including responding here in this forum, is to help the government and those accountable to have integrity and fulfill what it has agreed to do.

In most cases, Deaf rights are the first thing forgotten, and the last thing remembered. The FSL bill is an expression of all that is stipulated and understood in our Constitution, the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities and the UNCRPD. Its our moral duty to make sure Deaf rights are not forgotten and that they are taken seriously by decision makers, implementors, teachers (like you and me) and everyone else. To respect, protect and uphold rights is not just to speak about it but should be clearly supported in policies and procedures. And the State implementors should fully understand and support those.

FSL bill and all the other house bills for the Deaf are all efforts to concretely respect, protect and uphold their rights. It is the obligation of the State and everyone that represents the State to make sure they fulfill State duties. Deaf people and advocates are actively involved to make sure those obligations are fulfilled.

And so I hope my response helped you. And I am also interested to learn more from you. So thank you for inviting me to observe you in your class and meet your students. I am very interested to learn from you and observe the challenges and opportunities teachers of the Deaf and the Deaf kids face. I will likewise extend an invitation to you and your colleagues to visit us at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde for a day or two of educational exposure and interaction with our Deaf and hearing teachers as well as Deaf students. It would be a good opportunity to listen to their stories and learn about what helped them and did not help them in their basic education.

I am confident that through a more extensive conversation we can share a lot of our experiences and learn from each other. I’m sure that once you fully understand the rights of Deaf people as equal to our rights as hearing people, it would be easier to contextualize our educational efforts that they are rights-based, and yes, inclusive.

I don’t know who you are Juan Luna, Anika and the others who feel that FSL is not legitimate language and should not be used in the education of Filipino Deaf children. So I don’t know where and how to reach you except if you email me. Please email me at techie.delatorre@benilde.edu.ph so we can finalize a meeting schedule. I extend my invitation to the rest of the hearing people who might be interested to collaborate and establish partnership to improve Deaf education, and consequently improve Deaf lives in the context of their Deaf linguistic identity and their human rights.

Before I end, I agree with what you or someone mentioned that research is very important. Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD) and Philippine Deaf Resource Center (PDRC) have a long list of research studies. Some have been presented in international conferences and gatherings. Some reported in UN. PDRC and PFD worked closely with local and international organizations to do the researches and publish some. You may find the fact sheets and the more extensive research basis here- http://phildeafres.org/concern_solutions&theme=1&font=

CSB had a Deaf Education Forum 2 years ago. Viet Nam and Japan have schools developed in partnership with Deaf people and use the natural sign language of Deaf Vietnamese and Deaf Japanese in the education of Deaf people in their schools are used. CSB also shared about the Filipino Deaf experience in education. You may access here - http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/338137/deaf-education-southeast-asian-situation#.UH_Jd45XA8E We also have some publications of our programs and services, the rationale for it and the history of how it evolved. You may find it in the following links -
http://deaf-e-news.blogspot.com/
https://digitalcollections.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/9206/1/DevelopmentBulletin-74_2011.pdf (pp 45-49)

We can give you hardcopy publications when you visit us.

There is an international conference in HK in 2013 focused on research studies on the grammar of SL in Asia and studies on Deaf education. We have 1 Deaf Filipino teacher who will present her paper together with experts from all over the world. I think her study is in the influence of English and FSL in the comprehension levels of Deaf children . http://www.cslds.org/conference2013/ The 2010 conference proceedings on Sign Language studies are in the internet as well. Chinese HK University is hosting that conference. They have done extensive studies on HKSL as well as doing diploma and graduate degrees on SL research studies. They also have partnership with schools and are helping out to improve Deaf education in HK. And yes, HKSL is the visual language of  Deaf people. It is not the Chinese spoken languages (and host of other languages of Chinese people). Just as FSL is not the spoken Filipino, nor is ASL the spoken English. ASL is the American Deaf people's Sign Language just as HKSL and FSL are the sign languages of the HK Deaf people and the Filipino Deaf people, respectively.

I hope the references I gave will be of help to you. I know that change can be stressful and uncertain especially because we all have a role in it. Not knowing how to do it can be a source of that stress, Learning to let go and be accepting of another view can be another. Well its truly a reflective period for all of us in education, we after all can make things better or worse for our students. I only wish that whatever choice we make it is because of what is right and just.

Nevertheless, I am truly glad all these are happening now. It gives me a chance to participate in a meaningful way. Together with the rest, I am able to make a positive contribution in improving Deaf lives through meaningful education.

I am willing to participate in continued discussions and collaborations to help others understand and hopefully help in bridging the way for partnership. I hope that this response and the future opportunity that we find ourselves in will help in the over-all efforts of the Deaf community to ensure that their rights are respected, protected and upheld in relationships, in education, employment and the society in general.

Please email me okay?

Sincerely,

Techie