Janine Gutierrez praises use of Filipino Sign Language in TV newscast
Janine Gutierrez (Image: Instagram/@janinegutierrez)
Actress Janine Gutierrez hailed the use of Filipino Sign Language (FSL) in television newscasts following the inclusion of interpreters for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
“So good that there’s FSL/sign language on the news now. Sana tuloy-tuloy na (I hope this keeps going), even when this crisis is over,” she said on Twitter yesterday, April 20.
So good that there's FSL/sign language on the news now. Sana tuloy-tuloy na, even when this crisis is over. 🙏🏼
— 🌺JANINE (@janinegutierrez) April 20, 2020
Viewers took notice when GMA newscast show “24 Oras” introduced the feature last night. Twitter user @archeraisle commented, “First time [M]s. Janine sa [24 Oras] kaya all eyes ako kanina sa sign language interpreter. Ang tanong sobrang bilis nakuha kaya nila lahat ng mensahe[?]”
(First time Ms. Janine on “24 Oras” which was why I was all eyes on the sign language interpreter. The question is it was so fast, did they get everything in the message?)
“Sigurado!! Mabilis talaga mag sign ang deaf community na gumagamit ng FSL (Of course! The Deaf community that uses FSL is fast at signing),” Gutierrez replied.
Sigurado!! Mabilis talaga mag sign ang deaf community na gumagamit ng FSL. It's only right that they are represented and that the news is made accessible for everyone 🙏🏼
— 🌺JANINE (@janinegutierrez) April 20, 2020
“It’s only right that they are represented and that the news is made accessible for everyone,” she remarked.
Republic Act No. 11106, or the Filipino Sign Language Act, passed in 2018 states that “the FSL shall be the language of broadcast media interpreting” and that FSL interpreter insets are required in news and public affairs programs.
ABS-CBN news show “TV Patrol” has been using the interpreting inset since the start of April. However, some social media users met the inclusive feature with mockery, stating that it looked like dance videos from the app TikTok.
The Philippine National Association of Sign Language Interpreters (PNASLI) said in a statement last April 5, “We ask that you do not mock us as our job is already difficult enough without having to deal with people that spread negativity or misinformation because of our role in the public eye.”
It added, “We encourage you all to learn FSL and Deaf culture from Deaf people as it is a language that belongs to them and is generously shared to us sign language interpreters, signers, and other allies in the Deaf community.” /ra
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