By: Delaila Irma T. Calindas, Project Technical Staff II

The Commission on Higher Education – Cordillera Administrative Region (CHED-CAR), through its UniFAST Unit, successfully conducted the second episode of the 2026 Series of the Skills Enhancement and Employee Development (SEED) Project titled “Bridging Communication Through Filipino Sign Language” on June 25, 2026, at Travelite Hotel along Legarda Road, Baguio City.

The session focused on introducing the basics of Filipino Sign Language (FSL) to nearly 60 participants, composed of CHED-CAR personnel and UniFAST focal persons and representatives from higher education institutions across the region.

The training was facilitated by resource persons from the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) of Baguio City, led by Dr. Samuel Aquino. In his message, Dr. Aquino shared that he is a living testament to the impact of CHED’s Merit Scholarship Program, having been a PESFA scholar himself. He also discussed key laws supporting persons with disabilities (PWDs), particularly Republic Act No. 11106, which declares Filipino Sign Language as the national sign language of the Filipino Deaf. The law mandates all government agencies to promote FSL through awareness and training programs and to ensure equal access to public services and transactions for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.

This was followed by a demonstration of basic FSL by Mr. Roger Gutlay and Ms. Karen Joy Lang-ay, both certified sign language interpreters from PDAO. They guided participants in learning the FSL alphabet, numbers, months, and common greetings. As part of the interactive activities, participants were encouraged to engage and communicate with Ms. Javen Grace Limpayos, a PDAO encoder who is also deaf.

Participants expressed their appreciation for the training. In his message, Mr. Bernardo Ganotice IV, UniFAST Focal Person of Kalinga State University, conveyed his gratitude to the Regional Office for organizing the activity—his first participation in such training. He emphasized that the experience deepened his understanding of inclusive communication and helped him develop greater empathy for the PWD sector.

CHED-CAR participants were led by Dr. Ma. Geraldine F. Casipit, Chief Education Program Specialist, together with Ms. Menzie O. Kuengan, Supervising Education Program Specialist; Dr. Bernadette C. Pal-ec, Education Supervisor II and Head of the UniFAST Unit; and selected UniFAST Regional Coordinators.

The SEED Project, a quarterly learning and development initiative spearheaded by the UniFAST Unit, underscores CHED-CAR’s commitment to enhancing the competencies of its personnel while promoting excellence in client service. Since its inception in 2022, this activity marked the 24th session of the program.