QUEZON City Fifth District Representative PM Vargas.
DISTRICT V Quezon City Representative PM Vargas, lauds the House of Representatives for the timely and quick passage of House Bill 4646, otherwise known as “National Week of the Deaf Act”, which was approved on the third reading and submitted to the Senate before February ended, just in time for the celebration of the World Hearing Day.
“The Filipino deaf community, a vibrant and diverse group, is often overlooked and faced with communication barriers and societal discrimination. It is high time that they be heard, included, and allowed to equally participate in the mainstream society,” says the legislator upon the approval of the House Committee on Persons with Disabilities.
The proposed measure lobbies for the celebration of a National Week of the Deaf and a Filipino Sign Language Day both for the purposes of promoting public awareness of the plight of the deaf as well as their inclusion and as a reminder of their individuality as Filipinos.
Under the said bill, the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino in coordination with the Council for the Welfare of Children, the Philippine Commission on Women, and other select key agencies, shall craft guidelines for the effective implementation of programs, campaigns, and activities for the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.
The version of the bill has been approved on the third reading by the Committee on Persons with Disabilities and has been transmitted to the Senate in early February this year.
While the initial version of the bill remained pending during the 18th Congress when it was filed by his brother, former Representative Alfred Vargas, the younger Vargas is hopeful that this Congress is the right time for the bill to be realized as a law.
“This Congress has acted with urgency on this bill that will not only create awareness but more importantly foster understanding and empowerment of the deaf community”, prods Vargas.
World Hearing Day is celebrated yearly every 3rd of March by the World Health Organization to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss as well as promote ear and hearing care across the world. This year, the WHO together with the World Hearing Forum and the Coalition for Global Hearing Health has added a call for grant proposals on projects as an initiative to advance ear and hearing care.
