TO further accessibility, inclusivity, and government transparency in public service, Quezon City District V Representative PM Vargas advocates the use of local languages as a medium for public documents and government communications.
“With over a hundred different languages spoken in our country, it is crucial that government information is easily understood by everyone”, says Vargas as he files for House Bill 5418 otherwise known as the “Plain Language for Public Service Act” in time for the commemoration of the International Mother Language Tongue Day.
The proposed bill aims to use the mother tongue languages in areas across the country in pertinent public documents such as government forms and applications, public health information leaflets and notices, voting materials and voting education resources, and local government communications and announcements among others.
The bill also proposes an established framework for language selection by area as well as training and capacity-building activities for government agencies covered by the measure.
“This legislation will help bridge the communication gap in many of our public transactions thereby empowering our citizens to actively engage and participate in the decision-making process of the government, regardless of their language proficiency”, adds the legislator.
The initial version of the bill was filed by the legislator’s older brother and former Quezon City District V Representative Alfred Vargas during the 18th Congress.
International Mother Language Tongue Day is a worldwide annual observance every February 21st, first proclaimed by UNESCO to recognize and promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity as well as multilingualism.
