Press Release
June 26, 2020

Lapid wants public announcements translated to Tagalog, vernacular language

Sen. Manuel "Lito" Lapid has filed a bill seeking to mandate government agencies to translate all documents including announcements, advisories, press releases and other information on local and national disasters to Tagalog or the vernacular language.

According to Lapid, most, if not all advisories, announcements or issuances regarding impending disasters or calamities are delivered either in English or Tagalog. But for a country like the Philippines where more than 170 languages are spoken, he said the government's aim to keep its constituents well-informed of and prepared for impending disasters fall short of its objective because not all could understand English or Tagalog.

He said the enactment into law of Senate Bill No. 1539, otherwise known as the Language Accessibility of Public Information on Disaster Act, would ensure that information relating to impending calamities or emergencies such as those on epidemics, outbreaks, social amelioration program, emergency assistance and other social protection measures of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are converted into an easily understandable form and translated to Tagalog or the appropriate dialect.

"Nais nating ang lahat ng impormasyon ukol sa mga kalamidad ay madaling maunawaan, lalo na ng ating mga kababayan sa iba't ibang rehiyon (We want all disaster-related information to be language-accessible and readily-comprehensive, especially to speakers of our regional languages and dialects)," Lapid said.

He said the translated information shall be disseminated as widely as possible through all available media and communication channels.

Lapid said the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) shall render the necessary technical assistance and expertise to the government agencies and local government units and monitor their compliance to the duties mandated by the Act.

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