On August 17, 2024, nine Filipino Sign Language (FSL) researchers graduated from the inaugural Filipino Sign Language Documentation Program at De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde. This pioneering program was established through the Center for Education Advancement of the Deaf (CEAD).
Deaf FSL researchers play a vital role in developing evidence-based FSL learning materials that strengthen bilingual education for Deaf learners. From 2018 to 2021, the first cohort of researchers trained under the mentorship of Dr. James Woodward through the FSL Documentation Program at Benilde.
Developed by Dr. Woodward, a leading linguist in Asian sign languages, the diploma course trains Deaf educators in FSL phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Now offered through Benilde’s School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPACE), the program provides Deaf professionals with greater opportunities to advance FSL research and education. The first cohort completed nine modules and were officially recognized on August 17, 2024.
The pioneering graduates include Maricris Galang, Kaila Gambong, Rey Lee, Nathaniel Macariola, Jasmin Rivera, Renz Kenneth Rivera, Marvin Prieto, Yamie Yadan, Patrick Abaza, and Shaquille de Guzman, who later formed the CEAD FSL Research Team. Their collective outputs include the FSL Corpus and Signbank, FSL Grammar and Dictionary, Academic Signs Documentation, and Deaf Heritage and Life Stories, launched in 2023. They also developed a preparatory course for Grade 7 Deaf students at the Benilde Deaf School.
This initiative forms part of the Model Learning Institute on Deaf-Centered Education (MLITEDCE), made possible through a grant from The Nippon Foundation of Japan.
