Izwe lethu elineziqhingi linomhlaba ocebile ngamasiko ahlukeneyo njengama-ziqhingi zethu. Liyeza lemiphakathi eminingi yomdabu enezilimi zayo.
Empeleni, iPhilippines inezilimi zomdabu eziphilayo eziyi-175, ngokwe-Ethnologue, ehlukanisa lezi zilimi ngokwezinga labo lokuphila. Phakathi kweziyi-175 ezisaphila, eziyi-20 ziyi-“institutional,” ezisetshenziswa futhi zigcinwa yizikhungo ezingaphezu kwasekhaya nasemiphakathini; eziyi-100 ezibhekwa njenge-“stable” azigcinwa yizikhungo ezisemthethweni, kodwa zisasebenza ezindlini nasemiphakathini lapho izingane ziqhubeka nokufunda nokusebenzisa; kanti eziyi-55 zibhekwa njenge-“endangered,” noma zingezi zisebenziswanga ngokujwayelekile ezinganeni.
Kunamazwi amabili asevele “aphelile.” Lokhu kusho ukuthi awasetshenziswa futhi akekho ongaqhubeka nokubamba umqondo wobunikazi obuhlobene nalezi zilimi. Ngiyazibuza ukuthi kwenzekeni emasikweni nasemazweni omlando ahlobene nalezi zilimi. Singathemba kuphela ukuthi bavele babhalwa kahle ukuze babe yingxenye yemithombo yethu yomlando namasiko.
Uma singaphumelelanga ukuvikela nokuphromotha lezi zilimi eziyi-55 ezibhekene nesixakaxaka ezweni lethu, ngeke kube isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuthi zibe neze.
Kukhona izivumelwano zomhlaba ezihlobene namalungelo ezilimi zomdabu ezithathwe yiPhilippines eminyakeni edlule. Lezi zingasekela izinhlelo ezingenza izilimi ezibhekene nesixakaxaka zibe nezimpilo ezivuselelwe. Omunye wazo i-Convention against Discrimination in Education (CDE), eyathathwa yizwe ngonyaka we-1964.
I-CDE iyinsiza yokuqala esebenzayo yomhlaba wonke eqinisekisa ukuthi imfundo iyilungelo lomuntu. Iqukethe umthetho owenza kubaluleke kakhulu amalungelo ezinhlanga ezincane, ezifana nezixuku zomdabu, ukuba nezinhlelo zabo zemfundo, kuhlanganise nokusetshenziswa noma ukufundiswa kolimi lwabo.
Enye isivumelwano iPhilippines ethathwe ngonyaka we-1986 yi-International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), efuna ukuvikela amalungelo ezomphakathi kanye namalungelo ezombusazwe kuhlanganise nekhaya lokukhululwa kokwehlukaniswa. Umthetho othile ukhuthaza amalungelo ezinhlanga, ezokukholelwa noma ezolimi “ukuze ujabulele amasiko akho, ukufundisa nokwenza inkolo yakho, noma ukusebenzisa ulimi lwakho.”
I-Philippines iphinde ibe uphawu lwe-Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (CSICH) ngonyaka we-2006, i-United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) ngonyaka we-2007, kanye ne-United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) ngonyaka we-2008.
I-CSICH ihlose ukuvikela ifa lesiko elingathathi hlangothi (ICH) ikakhulukazi ngokwenza ukwazi emkhakheni wendawo, ezweni nasezweni, ukuqinisekisa ukuhlonishwa kwemikhuba yemiphakathi, nokuhlinzeka ngenkxaso nokubambisana ezingeni lomhlaba. Le nkontileka ibeka ukuthi ifa lesiko elingathathi hlangothi liboniswa ngezinhlobonhlobo, kuhlanganise nezinkolelo eziphilayo nezisho, kuhlanganise nolimi njengendlela ye-ICH.
Ngenkathi, i-UNDRIP iyisivumelwano esibalulekile esibe nemiphumela emikhulu ekuvikeleni amalungelo abantu bomdabu “ukuphila ngokuhlonipha, ukugcina nokwandisa izikhungo zabo, amasiko nemikhuba yabo, nokuhlela ukuthuthukiswa kwabo okuzimele, ngokuhambisana nezidingo zabo nezinhloso zabo.”
Okokugcina, i-UNCRPD iqinisekisa ukuthi abantu bonke abanezinhlobo zonke zokukhubazeka kufanele babe nezinhloso ezithile zokuphepha nokukhululeka, kuhlanganise nokukhuluma nokubeka imibono, okumele kusekelwe yizigaba zengqondo ngezenzo ezihambisana, ezifana nokwamukela nokukhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kwezilimi zokubona, phakathi kwezinye.
Ngokuhambisana nalokhu, elinye lamazwi ayi-175 ezilimi zomdabu eziphilayo ePhilippines yi-Filipino Sign Language (FSL), esetshenziswa njengolimi lokuqala ngabantu abathanda iminyaka yonke.
Ngenkathi kubalulekile ukuthi sihlangene kulokhu, kubalulekile ukuthi sikwazi ukuvuma lezi zivumelwano zomhlaba. Kubalulekile ukugcina izithembiso zethu. Kufanele sibe nomsebenzi omkhulu ekuvuselelweni kwalezi zivumelwano ukuze sithuthukise izinhlelo zethu nemigomo ekuphatheni nasekuphromoteni kwezilimi eziphilayo ePhilippines, ikakhulukazi lezi ezibhekene nesixakaxaka. Kufanele siphinde sihlole futhi sibe neqhaza kwezinye izivumelwano zomhlaba ezizoba nomthelela ekulweni kwethu ukusindisa izilimi zethu.