MANILA – A Senate bill mandates 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.
Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid has recently filed Senate Bill No. 1539, or the Language Accessibility of Public Information on Disaster Act, in an aim to keep the public well-informed of and prepared for impending disaster.
Lapid said his measure ensures 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.
According to Lapid, it is important that advisories, announcements or issuances regarding impending disasters or calamities are delivered either in English or Tagalog for easy understanding since there were more than 170 languages spoken in the Philippines.
“Nais nating ang lahat ng impormasyon ukol sa mga kalamidad ay madaling maunawaan, lalo na ng ating mga kababayan sa iba’t ibang rehiyon,” Lapid said in a statement.
The actor senator also said that the translated information shall be disseminated as widely as possible through all available media and communication channels.
The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino 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./PN
