Padilla wants gov't documents in both English, Filipino

A proposed measure seeking to mandate the use of both English and Filipino as the official languages in all government documents was filed by Senator Robinhood "Robin" Padilla.

Padilla explained in a Friday statement that through Senate Bill (SB) 228 or the “Equal Use of Official Languages Act,” publishing issuances and documents in both languages would provide Filipinos more access and inclusive understanding of the “acts, operations, and documents of the government”.

The senator also said that the 1987 Constitution already mandated that the government initiate and sustain Filipino as a medium of official communication.

However, Padilla pointed out that most, if not all documents were published in English.

"While mechanisms are in place to further enrich Filipino as the national language of the Philippines, one of the sentiments of our ordinary people is rooted in the difficulty or lack of understanding of the entirety of the government's acts and operations since most documents, if not all, are published in the English language," said the senator.

"In this regard, this bill proposes the mandatory publication and accessibility of the general public to government documents, including but not limited to: executive issuances, legislative documents, judicial issuances, public advisories, and international treaties, in both English and Filipino language,"

Under the proposed SB 228, both English and Filipino would be used in all government issuances and documents including:

• Legislative documents including acts, bills, rules of procedures, resolutions, journals, and committee reports;
• Judicial ssuances and Proceedings including "decisions, resolutions, rules and other issuances of the Supreme Court and lower courts";
• International Treaties
• Public Advisories
• Publication of Acts

— DVM, GMA News