RA 11106 – An Act Declaring The Filipino
Sign Language As The National Sign
Language Of The Filipino Deaf And The
Official Sign Language Of Government
In All Transactions Involving The Deaf,
And Mandating Its Use In Schools,
Broadcast Media, And Workplaces
S. No. 1455
H. No. 7503
Republic of the Philippines
Congress of the Philippines
Metro Manila
Seventeenth Congress
Third Regular Session
Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-third day of July, two thousand
eighteen.
Republic Act No. 11106
AN ACT DECLARING THE FILIPINO SIGN LANGUAGE AS THE NATIONAL SIGN
LANGUAGE OF THE FILIPINO DEAF AND THE OFFICIAL SIGN LANGUAGE OF
GOVERNMENT IN ALL TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING THE DEAF, AND
MANDATING ITS USE IN SCHOOLS, BROADCAST MEDIA, AND WORKPLACES
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 “The Filipino Sign Language Act”.
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State shall, in compliance with the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 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 ensure that the Filipino
deaf can exercise the right to expression and opinion. Accordingly, the State recognizes
and promotes the use of sign languages embodying the specific cultural and linguistic
identity of the Filipino deaf.
The State also furthers the vision taken with the Early Years Act (Republic Act No.
10410) and the Enhanced Basic Education Act (Republic Act No. 10533), which have
already recognized Filipino Sign Language in the education of the deaf learners from
early childhood up to the secondary level.
Section 3. Filipino Sign Language as the National Sign Language . – Filipino Sign
Language, hereinafter referred to as FSL, is hereby declared as the national sign
language of the Philippines. The FSL shall be recognized, promoted, and supported as
the medium of official communication in all transactions involving the deaf, and as the
language of instruction of deaf education, without prejudice to the use of other forms of
communication depending on individual choice or preference.
Section 4. Filipino Sign Language in Education. – (a) Medium of Instruction and
Curriculum. – The Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA),
and all other national and local government agencies involved in the education of the
deaf, are tasked to henceforth use, and coordinate with each other on the use of FSL,
as the medium of instruction in deaf education. The FSL shall also be taught as a
separate subject in the curriculum for deaf learners. The reading and writing of Filipino,
as the national language, other Philippine languages, and English shall also be taught
to deaf learners.