Raphael “Rafa” Vergel de Dios Domingo is a Filipino Deaf linguist, community leader and scholar who earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Linguistics from Gallaudet University as part of the Nippon-Gallaudet World Deaf Leadership (WDL) scholarship program. His doctoral research documented syntactic patterns in Filipino Sign Language—particularly interrogative and negation constructions—and his graduation in 2022 was widely reported by educational and Philippine news outlets.
Early Life and Education
Domingo was born and raised in the Philippines and is an alumnus of De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (Benilde), an institution that later publicised his achievement as the first Ph.D. recipient from the World Deaf Leadership scholarship program coming from their School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (SDEAS). His background includes active involvement in Filipino Deaf communities and leadership roles that led to his selection as a WDL scholar to study at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. [1][2]
World Deaf Leadership Scholarship and Gallaudet Ph.D.
Domingo was a beneficiary of the Nippon-Gallaudet World Deaf Leadership (WDL) scholarship, a program that places Deaf scholars from around the world at Gallaudet University for graduate study and leadership development. He studied linguistics at Gallaudet and completed his doctorate in 2022 as a WDL scholar. Publications and university news items mark his Ph.D. conferral and celebrate its significance for Filipino Deaf leadership[3][4].
Dissemination and Public Recognition
Domingo’s doctorate was covered by multiple Philippine outlets and college news sites: De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde highlighted his milestone as their alumnus and as the program’s first Ph.D. graduate, local news and lifestyle outlets (including the Inquirer and community sites) published features noting the historic nature of his achievement for Filipino WDL scholars, and several regional news blogs and aggregators repeated the announcement across mid-2022.[2][4][6].
Research Impact
Domestic and international sign-language researchers reference work on Filipino Sign Language (FSL) syntax and lexicon in related studies; Domingo’s dissertation contributes primary descriptive data on interrogatives and negation in FSL, a topic relevant for linguists, Deaf education specialists, and policy advocates seeking evidence to support FSL’s role in education and community life.[5][7].
- Gallaudet University — International Affairs. (n.d.). World Deaf Leadership scholars since 2003. Gallaudet University.
- De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde — SDEAS. (2022). Deaf leader is first Filipino Ph.D. holder from the World Deaf Leadership scholarship program. NEWSSTAND.
- The Benildean. (2022, September 7). SDEAS alumnus becomes first Ph.D. recipient in World Deaf Leadership Scholarship. The Benildean.
- NewsPublish (2022, July 15). Filipino is World Deaf Leadership program's 1st doctorate holder. The Philippine Daily Inquirer / Lifestyle.
- Domingo, R. V. D. D. (2022). Syntactic Patterns of Interrogative and Negation Constructions of Filipino Sign Language Consultants in the Philippines. Gallaudet University.
- Calleno, K.A. (2022, August 30). World Deaf Leadership program's first Filipino Ph.D. holder. Proudly Filipino.
