Project History

The National Sign Language Committee (NSLC) has began collecting sign language data from the three main islands in the Philippines (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) in 2001.  The NSLC through the publication of the "Status Report on the use of Sign Language in the Philippines" by 2004 shall povide baseline data on the use of sign in education, interpreting, isgn instruction and media.  The NSLC has been challenged by limitations in funding and other resources.  When Dr  James Woodward has made a proposal on the development of Asian-Pacific indigenous sign language dictionaries, the gave Filipino Deaf community an opportunity to fulfill the plan of publishing an authentic FSL dictionary.

Dir Gladys Tang from Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) oversees project management the project involving the four countries, and is also local project director for Hong Kong.  Dr James Woodward is regional manager and also he is local project director for Vietnam.  Fr. Charles Dittemeier is the local project director for Cambodia.  The Philippine Federation of the Deaf is responsible for implementation of the project output in Philippines.  Marites Raquel Estiller-Corpuz is the only Deaf local project director out of these four countries.

The Project is funded for three years to develop dictionaries and teaching materials as well as a database of sign language data.  Six Deaf coordinators are already being trained in sign language analysis, fieldwork and dictionary production.  These six Deaf coordinators will be collecting data from regions.