AS if being deaf, mute and blind isn’t enough, a government agency mandated to promote the well-being of the physically impaired Filipinos is now at the receiving end of nasty jabs after clipping down the functionality of a unit which provides an effective means of communication for those who can’t see, hear and talk.
According to the National Coordination Network of Deaf Organizations (NCNDO), the recent actions of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWL) chair Arthur Casanova is a lethal blow for the very sector for which the agency was formed and funded.
In a protest rally held on Friday, among the issues raised by the NCNDO is the termination of seven KWL personnel under the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) unit, which according to them is on the verge of abolition.
Interestingly, those who would be losing their jobs by the end of the month are also physically impaired who earlier claimed that they have yet received their salaries for the last three months.
Amid the protest action, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and the Filipino Sign Language National Network (FSL-NN) expressed support for the NCNDO in demanding answers from the commission.
This comes as ACT admits having heard about the supposed plan to abolish the FSL unit because there isn’t enough funds to sustain the program promoting the Filipino sign language for those who are unable to see, hear and talk – despite the P1.8 billion government allocation for the implementation of the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) Program.
FSL unit senior advocacy officer Patrick Ablaza who was among the protesters urged Casanova to explain how KWL spent the P1.8 million allocation intended for the FSL unit in 2023.
“Because the P1.8 million went missing, we could not pay the interpreters and a lot of the processes and bills were also delayed,” Ablaza said.
Moments after the protest rally, KWF issued a statement citing the reason behind the non-renewal of FSL employees.
According to KWL, “baseless cases” filed by several FSL employees against the commission caused a “strained relationship” between the KWL management and its contractual personnel.
“Although KWF tried to address their grievances on internal matters in the agency, some COS (contract-of-service) staff made moves that created deep animosity in the agency that negatively affected the KWF’s fulfillment of its mandate and peace in the range of staff,” part of the KWL statement reads.
Casanova also denied squandering funds intended for the FSL Program and warded off apprehension about the alleged plan to dissolve the FSL unit. (ANGEL F. JOSE)
