In partnership with the Kakamay Movement Organization, Tarlac State University launched a three-day capacity-building program on Filipino Sign Language (FSL) earlier today (February 18) at the TSU Hotel, Lucinda Campus.
Organized by the International, Differently-Abled, Indigenous, and Marginalized Student Services Unit, the training is centered on breaking communication barriers, strengthening deaf inclusion, and empowering the university to communicate with respect, dignity, and understanding as reflected in the theme, "Breaking Barriers, Building Access: Toward a Deaf-Ready University."
Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Jasper Jay N. Mendoza said he wants TSU to be a university that is very much willing to listen, especially to the needs of the deaf community.
“Ngayong araw na ito, nagtitipon tayo hindi lamang para sa isang training—nagtitipon tayo para sa isang kilusan. Hands are not mere instruments of gestures. Hands can reach divides, hands can shatter barriers, and hands can build roads where none existed before,” he said.
He emphasized that the simple dignity of being understood can help the deaf gain access to equitable education, care, justice, and most fundamental human interactions.
In an interview, General Gabinera Palma, the organization’s founder, said that he could see the excitement and eagerness of the university to pursue the program they have started.
“After the program, I expect them (participants) to start communicating with the deaf people. That is the main goal. When I say communicate, it’s to speak and to listen. So, we can start breaking the barriers and start opening the doors for education,” he said.
Furthermore, he shared that the reason they chose TSU for this initiative is that many of their board directors are from Tarlac Province.
“Kakamay was born in Tarlac. At sinasabi na ang yaman ng ating probinsya ay ang tao. It’s fitting lang na sa atin magsimula ang mga ganitong galaw para sa kabutihan ng mga tao sa paligid natin, lalo na sa mga deaf,” he noted.
The training program will run until February 20, 2026, focusing on applied and functional FSL centered on academic and administrative transactions.
TSU and Kakamay Movement Organization signed a memorandum of agreement last December 2, 2025 for FSL training sessions, workshops, and awareness programs for volunteer TSU faculty, staff, and students.
The organization also recently partnered with TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) and UPRI (University of the Philippines Resilience Institute) to integrate accessibility standards into vocational training and disaster resilience programs for the Deaf community. (jlm-OPA)
Photo: Franc Lewis R. Juanatas
