Nxiwe lemvelaphi yethu yamaqhwa ibonisa ubuhlanga obuhlukahlukene obuphakathi kwezindawo zethu. Iba nezinye izindawo eziningi zabantu bendabuko ezinesilungu sazo.
Ngokwe-Ethnologue, iPhilippines inezilimi eziphilayo eziyi-175, ezihlelwe ngokuya ngezinga lazo lokuphila. Phakathi kweziyi-175 ezisaphilayo, eziyi-20 ziyi “zamasiko,” lezi ezisetshenziswa futhi zigcinwa ngamasiko angaphandle kwekhaya nomphakathi; lezi eziyi-100 ezibhekwa njenge “zimile” azigcinwa ngamasiko asemthethweni, kodwa zisengumkhuba ekhaya nomphakathi ukuthi izingane ziqhubeke ukufunda nokuzisebenzisa; kanti eziyi-55 zibhekwa njenge “zinobungozi,” noma sezingasathathwa njengemikhuba ukuthi izingane zifunde futhi zisebenzise.
Kukhona izilimi ezimbili ezivele "zafi." Lokhu kusho ukuthi azisasetshenziswanga futhi akukho muntu onokuzwisa ubuhlanga obuhlobene nalezi zilimi. Ngiyazibuza ukuthi kwenzekeni kubuhlanga nezimfundiso ezihlobene nalezi zilimi. Singathemba kuphela ukuthi zibhaliwe ngokwanele ukuze zibe yingxenye yomlando wethu nemibhalo yamasiko.
Uma singaphumelelanga ukugcina nokukhuthaza lezi zilimi eziyi-55 ezinobungozi ezikhona ezweni lethu, ngeke kube isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuthi zibe zafi.
Kukhona izivumelwano zomhlaba ezihlobene namalungelo ezilimi zabantu bendabuko ezweni lePhilippines ezamukelwe eminyakeni edlule. Lezi zingase zisekele izinhlelo ezithola impilo entsha ezilimini ezivele zikhona. Omunye wazo yiSivumelwano Sokulwa Nokucwasa Emfundweni (CDE), esamukelwa ezweni lePhilippines ngo-1964.
I-CDE iyinsiza yokuqala emthethweni eyamukelekile yokuxhumana kwezwe elibophezela ukufundisa njengelungelo lomuntu. Inemfuneko eqinisekisa amalungelo ezizwe ezincane, njengezizukulwane zabantu bendabuko, ukuba nezenzo zazo zokufunda, kuhlanganise nokusebenzisa noma ukufundisa izilimi zabo.
Omunye umvume owasungulwa yiPhilippines ngo-1986 yiSivumelwano SaseMpumalanga Ngezombusazwe (ICCPR), esizama ukuvikela amalungelo ezombusazwe nezezimali kuhlanganise nokukhululeka ekucwaseni. Omunye umphakathi ophakanyiswa uyavuma amalungelo ezizukulwane, ezokholo noma ezilimi “ukuba thokozisa ubuhlanga babo, ukuthandaza nokwenza imikhuba yabo, noma ukusebenzisa izilimi zabo.”
I-Philippines iphinde ibe ngum signatory kuSivumelwano Sokuvikela Isiko Elingaziwa (CSICH) ngo-2006, kuMthetho Wokuzazi Wezizwe Ngamasiko (UNDRIP) ngo-2007, kanye neMthetho Wezizukulwane Ezinokukhubazeka (UNCRPD) ngo-2008.
I-CSICH ihlose ukuvikela isiko elingaziwa (ICH) ikakhulukazi ngokuletha ukuqwashisa endaweni, ezweni nasezweni, ukuhlinzeka ngenhlonipho kumikhuba yemiphakathi, nokuhlinzeka ngozakwethu nezinsiza ezingeni lomhlaba. Lesi sivumelwano sithi isiko elingaziwa libonakala ngezinye izinto, izinkolelo nemibhalo, kuhlanganise nolimi njengendlela ye-ICH.
Ngaleso sikhathi, i-UNDRIP iyisivumelwano esibalulekile esikwenze kwaba namandla ukuvikela amalungelo abantu bendabuko "ukuphila ngebhizinisi, ukugcina nokuqinisa izikhungo zabo, amasiko namasiko futhi balwele ukuthuthuka kwabo okuzimele, ngokuhambisana nezidingo zabo kanye nezifiso."
Ekugcineni, i-UNCRPD iqinisekisa ukuthi abantu bonke abanezikhubekiso kumele bathole wonke amalungelo abantu kanye namalungelo ayisisekelo, kuhlanganise nokukhululeka kokukhuluma nokubona, okuvumelekile ukuba kusekelwe yizigaba zezwe ngezinyathelo ezihlanganisayo, ezifana nokwamukela nokuhlinzeka ukusetshenziswa kwezilimi zenkanyezi, phakathi kokunye.
Ngokuhambisana nalokhu, enye yezilimi eziphilayo eziyi-175 ezweni lePhilippines yiFilipino Sign Language (FSL), esebenza njengolimi lokuqala kubantu abadevu bonke.
Ngenkathi kuhle ukuthi sivumelene nalezi zivumelwano, kudingeka kugcizelelwe ukuthi ukwamukela lezi zivumelwano zomhlaba kuyisiqalo sethu kuphela. Kubalulekile ukuba sihlinzeke ngezibopho zethu. Kumele sibe neqhaza elikhulu ekusebenziseni lezi zivumelwano ukuze siqinise izinhlelo zethu nemigomo yokugcina nokukhuthaza zonke izilimi eziphilayo ePhilippines, ikakhulukazi lezi ezivele zikhona. Kumele futhi sihlolisise futhi sithathe ingxenye kwezinye izivumelwano zomhlaba ezingenza kube khona umphakathi oqinile ezilimini zethu.