Thousands to Join Filipino Sign Language Convention
DAGUPAN CITY – Around 3,000 delegates, with more than half being deaf, are set to attend a three-day regional Bible convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses from July 18 to 20 in this city. This event marks the largest Filipino Sign Language gathering in the country, bringing together participants from northern Luzon to Calabarzon.
The convention will feature Bible-based dramas, talks, and video presentations all conducted in Filipino Sign Language to ensure full accessibility for the deaf community. Such a large-scale FSL event is rare, even surpassing similar gatherings held outside religious contexts.
FSL Convention Aligns with Disability Rights Week
According to local organizers, the timing of the FSL Bible convention coincides with the national observance of Disability Rights Week from July 17 to 23. The event is part of a series of eight Jehovah’s Witnesses conventions scheduled at the CSI Stadia between June and August. These include three in Pangasinan, with language sessions in Filipino, Ilocano, and FSL.
More than 20,000 attendees are expected across all sessions, with each gathering drawing between 3,000 to 3,500 delegates. The organizers stress the importance of reaching out to the deaf community, with many members learning Filipino Sign Language before serving in areas where they can better connect with people who have hearing impairments.
Reaching the Deaf Community with Compassion
The group’s representatives explained that they work closely with local barangay officials to locate deaf individuals, especially those who missed formal schooling due to poverty or other challenges. They assist these individuals in learning basic literacy skills, helping them overcome barriers to communication.
“They go into communities and coordinate with barangay officials to locate deaf individuals. For those who never had the chance to attend school due to poverty or other reasons, we help them learn basic reading and writing skills,” a spokesperson shared.
Many deaf people often feel isolated, even within their own families, due to communication challenges. This convention offers a rare opportunity for social interaction and spiritual enrichment. “With this program, they’re finally able to interact and socialize. Aside from spiritual nourishment, the convention offers them meaningful association, which is often lacking because they’re overlooked or misunderstood,” the spokesperson added.
Respecting Choices and Celebrating History
The organizers emphasized that attending the conventions does not obligate anyone to become a member. “It’s always their personal choice. We’re just happy to teach them FSL and share Bible truths,” they noted.
The FSL conventions are distinctively quiet, as the audience engages visually by watching speakers, dramas, and videos. Attendees even “sing” in Filipino Sign Language using expressive gestures without sound.
This year’s gatherings also celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first large-scale postwar Jehovah’s Witnesses assembly in the Philippines, held in Lingayen, Pangasinan in November 1945. Despite opposition attempts to block the event, it proceeded successfully with 4,000 attendees.
Later, legal rulings affirmed the community’s right to hold assemblies in public and government-owned venues, marking a significant milestone for religious freedom in the country.
For more news and updates on Filipino Sign Language conventions, visit Filipinokami.com.