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‘Deaf beauty’ teaches sign language with mom on TikTok to promote inclusivity

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Christina Quiambao, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Deaf Filipina Erline Grace Maniquis with her hearing mother, Erlinda Maniquis. Photo Courtesy: Erline Grace Maniquis" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/04/19/20230419-erline-erlinda.jpg"/><figcaption>Deaf Filipina Erline Grace Maniquis with her hearing mother, Erlinda Maniquis. <em>Photo Courtesy: Erline Grace Maniquis</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Erline Grace Maniquis, who goes by the name &quot;Deafinitely Beautiful&quot; on Tiktok, is one of the few Deaf Filipinos teaching sign language on the video-sharing platform with her hearing mom. </p><p>To date, the 18-year-old Maniquis&#x27; videos have garnered 3.3 million likes and 103,000 followers, as she tackles topics like her experiences as a Deaf Filipina and translating words and phrases to the Filipino Sign Language (FSL). </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/02/24/23/how-to-keep-viewers-entertained-informed-on-tiktok">No picking fights: How creators can keep viewers entertained, informed on TikTok</a></li></ul><p>&quot;[Na-encourage] tuloy siya sa mga nagko-comment, parang &#x27;yun na lang tinuloy niya. Minsan nagpapaturo ng sign language, minsan nagtatanong kung may boses siya,&quot; Maniquis&#x27; mother Erlinda told ABS-CBN News, as she interpreted for her daughter. </p><p>(She was encouraged by those commenting to start her own Tiktok account. Sometimes they ask her to teach them sign language, others are curious if she has a voice.)</p><div><strong>Hearing mom, Deaf daughter</strong></div><p>The older Maniquis said she found out her daughter was Deaf when she was just 8 months old.</p><p>&quot;Sometimes I would throw things, make a sound. She does nothing, no response,&quot; she explained in a TikTok video. </p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@udeafinitelybu/video/7211782896921758982" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7211782896921758982" style="max-width:605px;min-width:325px"><section><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@udeafinitelybu?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@udeafinitelybu">@udeafinitelybu</a> Replying to @Zhai thats how i am DEAFinitely Beautiful💗 <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fyp">#fyp</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp%E3%82%B7?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fypシ">#fypシ</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/borndeaf?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="borndeaf">#borndeaf</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/awareness?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="awareness">#awareness</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/parents?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="parents">#parents</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/momanddaugther?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="momanddaugther">#momanddaugther</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/deafandhearing?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="deafandhearing">#deafandhearing</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Cute-7136445672676411393?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ Cute - Aurel Surya Lie">♬ Cute - Aurel Surya Lie</a></section></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>After she was diagnosed with severe deafness, the younger Maniquis was given the opportunity to wear hearing aids but often took them off because she felt uncomfortable. </p><p>&quot;Naka-acquire na kami ng hearing aid niya eh, sa PCSO. Kaya lang, tinatapon niya talaga kasi maingay, naiingayan talaga siya,&quot; the older Maniquis explained. </p><p>(We already acquired her hearing aid through PCSO. However, she would take it off because she found it noisy. It was really noisy for her.)</p><p>She then was taught sign language at school, which she later taught to her family, too. </p><div><strong>FSL vs ASL</strong></div><p>In the Maniquis household, FSL is their way to communicate with the only Deaf member in the family. </p><p>&quot;Kapag sa house, FSL kasi mga shortcut &#x27;yung terms noon eh unlike ASL,&quot; the older Maniquis said. </p><p>(At home, we use FSL because it has shortcuts for terms, unlike ASL.)</p><p>Despite being similar, FSL is an entirely different language compared to the American Sign Language (ASL). </p><p>Deaf Filipinos understand FSL better because its grammar, syntax, and idioms are, for the most part, reflective of the Filipino culture. </p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@udeafinitelybu/video/7132757776505294106" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7132757776505294106" style="max-width:605px;min-width:325px"><section><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@udeafinitelybu?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@udeafinitelybu">@udeafinitelybu</a> Replying to @˙८ ˙ lets start with that! <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fyp">#fyp</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fsl?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fsl">#fsl</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/asl?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="asl">#asl</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/signlanguage?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="signlanguage">#signlanguage</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/deafawareness?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="deafawareness">#deafawareness</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/tutorial?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="tutorial">#tutorial</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Get-Into-It-Yuh-6976278886782863361?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ Get Into It (Yuh) - Doja Cat">♬ Get Into It (Yuh) - Doja Cat</a></section></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Although fluent in both forms of sign language, the younger Maniquis said she preferred to teach others about FSL instead of ASL.</p><p>&quot;Kasi Pinoy tayo. Kaya dito dapat FSL kasi &#x27;yung mga Deaf... &#x27;Yung FSL more on shortcuts eh kasi meron sila &#x27;yung isang word, naiintindihan na sa kanila,&quot; she signed. </p><p>(We are Filipinos so we should use FSL. It has shortcuts for words that could be understood by Deaf Filipinos.)</p><p>In 2018, Republic Act 11106 was signed into law which declared FSL as the national sign language of the Filipino Deaf.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/12/18/duterte-signs-filipino-sign-language-into-law">Duterte signs Filipino Sign Language into law</a></li></ul><p>Despite this, the younger Maniquis said that until now, the FSL still needed a lot of recognition among the Filipino Deaf and hearing community. </p><div><strong>Teaching on TikTok</strong></div><p>The younger Maniquis said she hoped that teaching FSL on Tiktok could make communication more inclusive for both the hearing and Deaf communities. </p><p>&quot;Gusto ko i-promote &#x27;yung sign language para maka-communicate &#x27;yung hearing at saka sa Deaf, at saka para ang Deaf, hindi ma-bully,&quot; she signed. </p><p>(I want to promote sign language so that the hearing and the Deaf could communicate, and the Deaf would not be bullied.)</p><p>A so-called &quot;Scholarship Prank&quot; trend on social media recently showed some people pretending to be deaf and/or mute and pretending to use sign language. </p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@udeafinitelybu/video/7131235397685759258" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7131235397685759258" style="max-width:605px;min-width:325px"><section><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@udeafinitelybu?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="@udeafinitelybu">@udeafinitelybu</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/notoscholarshipprank?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="notoscholarshipprank">#Notoscholarshipprank</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/scholarshipchallenge?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="scholarshipchallenge">#ScholarshipChallenge</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/scholarshipprank?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="scholarshipprank">#scholarshipprank</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ra9442?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="ra9442">#RA9442</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ra7277?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="ra7277">#RA7277</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ra10627?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="ra10627">#RA10627</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ncda?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="ncda">#NCDA</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fsl?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fsl">#FSL</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/pfd?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="pfd">#PFD</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/spreadawarenessforpwd?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="spreadawarenessforpwd">#spreadawarenessforPWD</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/sharethispost?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="sharethispost">#ShareThisPost</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="fyp">#fyp</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/help?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="help">#help</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/share-7063677033050392606?refer=embed" target="_blank" title="♬ share - 顾超">♬ share - 顾超</a></section></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Internet trends such as this could be damaging to the Deaf community, said Maniquis, adding that this was the reason why she went to TikTok to educate more people. </p><p>&quot;Gusto ko maging pantay ang pagtingin sa Deaf community,&quot; she signed.</p><p>(I want the Deaf community to be viewed fairly.) </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/06/20/interpreters-seek-awareness-after-online-mockery-of-sign-language-insets">Interpreters seek awareness after online ‘mockery’ of sign language insets</a></li></ul><p>Meanwhile, the older Maniquis said it was important for parents with Deaf children to learn the sign language as well. </p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yun talagang importante, &#x27;yung pumasok ka sa mundo nila,&quot; she said. </p><p>(It is important to enter their world.) </p>

This 'Deaf beauty' teaches Filipino sign language with her hearing mom on TikTok to promote inclusivity. 

‘Deaf beauty’ teaches sign language with mom on TikTok to promote inclusivity

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‘Deaf beauty’ teaches sign language with mom on TikTok to promote inclusivity

Christina Quiambao,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 19, 2023 12:44 PM PHT

|

Updated Apr 19, 2023 12:45 PM PHT

Read More:

Deaf

Sign Language

FSL

Filipino Sign Language

TikTok

ASL

American Sign Language

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