NINETEENTH CONGRESS  
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session  
 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez 
House Bill No.  _____ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Previous bills on sign language, including House Bill 6079 filed during the 15th 
Congress entiled, “An Act Declaring Filipino Sign Language as the National Sign Language of 
the Filipino Deaf and the official Language of Government in All Transactions Involving the 
Deaf, and Mandating Its Use in Schools, Broadcast Media, in All Workplaces,”  has divided 
the deaf community, educators, parents and advocates of people with hearing loss.  
Said House Bill may have all the good intentions for the Filipino deaf; however, the fact 
remains that not all Filipino deaf use Filipino Sign Language (FSL).  At present,  various and 
differentiated modes of communication for the deaf are made available for them.   Aside from 
sign language, there are other methods including oral, written, gestural, and the use of 
manually coded English.  These methods are used in different educational facilities and in the 
provision of services for the deaf, providing richer vocabulary and helping bridge the gap that 
deafness brings about. This fact is what the bill overlooks, utterly leaving the deaf, their 
teachers, and  their interpreters – with only one option, the “Filipino Sign Language.”  The 
mandate to use a singular language for the deaf in education and in public services such as 
the courts, health centers, workplaces, broadcast media limits and hinders communication 
accessibility.  It violates the innate human right for free speech and expression.  
Guaranteeing accessibility  for all  deaf and hard of hearing people must include other 
forms of communication: Manually Coded English (MCE), signed English, oral/aural 
communication, Simultaneous Communication (Talking and Signing at the same time), or 
Filipino Sign Language.  All communication needs of any and all individuals with hearing loss 
must be provided at the request of the individual. This ensures that all deaf individuals can 
exercise the right to freedom of expression and opinion on an equal basis with others and 
through all forms of communication of their choice. 
This proposed measure seeks to realize the rights of all Filipino deaf and hard of 
hearing to full and equal participation in society by guaranteeing accessibility and eliminating 
all forms of discrimination in all public interactions and transactions for them.  The UNCRPD 
has emphasized the importance of Freedom of expression, opinion, and access to information 
through all forms of communication of the individual’s choice. This implies that people with 
disabilities would have opportunity to choose the best medium they may use to access 
information and maximize the use of this information for holistic development.  Furthermore, 
this Bill seeks to give effect to the State’s obligation to realize the rights of all Filipino deaf and 
hard of hearing to become productive and responsible citizens, equipped with the essential 
competencies, skills and values for both life-long learning and employment. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly request. 
 RUFUS B. RODRIGUEZ 
March 16, 2023
7:00 pm
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NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez 
House Bill No.  _____ 
AN ACT  
PROVIDING COMMUNICATION ACCESSIBILITY TO FILIPINO DEAF AND HARD OF 
HEARING FOR FULL INCLUSION INTO THE MAINSTREAM OF SOCIETY 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:  
SECTION 1:  Title.    This Act shall be known as “Communication Accessibility to Filipino Deaf 
and Hard of Hearing”. 
SECTION 2:  Declaration of Policy.    It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote, 
protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental 
freedoms of persons with disabilities.  Thus, national and local state agencies shall uphold 
respect for their inherent dignity, individual autonomy, and independence by guaranteeing 
accessibility and eliminating all forms of discrimination in all public interactions and 
transactions, thereby ensuring their full and effective participation and inclusion in society.  
The State shall also take all appropriate measures to provide accessible 
communication to develop productive and responsible citizens, equipped with the essential 
competencies, skills and values for both life-long learning and employment. 
Pursuance to this, communication accessibility that meets the various needs of a 
diverse group of Filipinos who are deaf and hard of hearing shall be provided.  This 
accessibility measures shall take into consideration several factors like degree of hearing loss; 
cognitive, emotional, linguistic, social and academic development; family dynamics and 
culture.  
SECTION 3.  Communication Accessibility.    Communication accessibility is a legal right 
of Filipino deaf and hard of hearing to equal access to goods, services and facilities in the 
community, schools, public transactions in health systems, Courts, Quasi-Judicial Agencies 
and other Tribunals,  broadcast media and workplaces. 
Communication accessibility recognizes and respect the right of the Filipino deaf and 
hard-of-hearing to communicate freely with others.  Services and facilities shall promote 
understanding of communication needs, explore language opportunities, provide 
communication tools and not to favor any particular communication mode or language over 
another.   
SECTION 4.  Definition of Terms. 
Communication Accessibility  refers to the provision of accommodations in terms of 
appropriate goods, services and facilities to meet the communication needs of the Filipino deaf 
and hard-of-hearing  to allow them  full participation of their functions in the society.   
Inclusion refers to the enrolment of Filipino deaf and hard-of-hearing in regular classrooms 
with the necessary accommodations and support services. 
Deaf  refer to those individuals whose hearing is non-functional for ordinary purposes in life 
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Hard of Hearing refer to those individuals who have a defective sense of hearing but are still 
functional with or without a hearing aid. 
 
Oral Communication is a method  in educating deaf and hard-of-hearing children using only 
the spoken language, speech reading, and voice training. 
 
Signed Communication uses manual communication and body language to convey meaning, 
as opposed to acoustically conveyed sound patterns. This can involve simultaneously 
combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial 
expressions to fluidly express a speaker's thoughts. 
 
SECTION 5. Communication Access in Education.  Every deaf and hard-of-hearing 
individual is entitled to an education in which his/her language and communication mode is 
acknowledged, respected, assessed, developed and fully utilized.   
(1)  Language of Instruction.  The Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on 
Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 
(TESDA), Early Childhood and Development Council (ECCD) and all other national 
and local government agencies involved in the education of the deaf and hard of 
hearing are tasked to develop systems of communication that meet the needs and 
potentials of Filipino deaf and hard of hearing.   These systems shall include oral and 
signed communication. 
 
(2) Training of Teachers.  In-service training shall include upgrading of competencies on 
philosophies of education for the deaf and hard of hearing, different communication 
modalities, approaches, methods in teaching learners who are deaf and hard of 
hearing. 
 
(3) Support Services.  All education institutions shall provide augmentative and 
alternative communication (computer-aided transcription services,  telephone handset 
amplifiers,  assistive listening devices, hearing aids, open and closed captioning, 
videotext displays, others),  properly trained and qualified oral and signed interpreters, 
notetakers and others.  
 
SECTION 6. Communication Access in Public Transactions, Services and Facilities.    All 
national and local government agencies are hereby directed to deliver their services in the 
most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication for the individual. 
 
SECTION 7.  Communication Access in All Workplaces.    Every government office shall 
take all reasonable measures that would provide an environment sensitive and responsive to 
the communication needs of  the Filipino deaf and hard of hearing. 
 
SECTION 8.  Communication Access in Broadcast Media.    Television stations shall 
provide communication access through subtitles or signed communication to Filipino deaf and 
hard of hearing. 
 
SECTION 9.  Advocacy and Promotion of Communication Access.   The DepEd, CHED, 
TESDA, ECCD, and other national and local agencies shall take appropriate steps to 
propagate access to goods, services and facilities.  Basic Education institutions that enroll 
deaf and hard-of-hearing students are urged to use oral or signed communication or both with 
appropriate alternative and augmentative communication  depending on their needs and 
potentials.   State Universities and Colleges are directed to undertake research on education 
and communication access  for the deaf and hard of hearing and to  include courses on 
different forms of communication in their Special Education curriculum. 
 


SECTION 10.  Standards for Oral and Sign Language Interpreting.  The DepED and CHED 
shall develop standards for oral and sign language interpreting involving deaf individuals, 
teachers with experience in the education of the deaf and parents of the deaf.      
 
SECTION 11.  Implementing Rules.    The DepEd, CHED, TESDA, ECCD,  PRC, NCDA, 
Supreme Court, DOJ, and other relevant agencies shall, within 30 days after its effective date, 
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations. For this purpose, all stakeholders of all units 
in the community serving individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing shall be involved.  Also 
included are teachers with knowledge and experience in all spectra of educational services 
for learners with hearing loss. 
 
SECTION 12.  Monitoring of the Implementation of the Act.    The NCDA, in collaboration 
with representatives of all communities with hearing loss , is hereby tasked to convene an 
Inter-Agency Committee including individuals and institutions with knowledge and experience 
in oral and signed communication and their use, to make an annual assessment of the 
implementation of this Act.  The report of this Inter-Agency Committee shall be transmitted 
annually  to the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture and Senate Committee on 
Education, Arts, and Culture and published in accessible formats in their respective websites 
and through other means necessary. 
 
SECTION 13.  Appropriations.    Implementation of this Act shall derive its funding from the 
1% appropriations for Persons with Disabilities as provided in the General Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION 14. Repealing Clause.    All laws and executive issuances inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
 
SECTION 15.  Separability Clause.    If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, 
the same shall not affect the validity and effectiveness of its other provisions. 
 
SECTION 16.  Effective Date.    This Act shall take effect fifteen days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or one newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,