QUEZON City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas yesterday batted for the approval of a bill that seeks the use of local dialects in official public service communications and documents across the country.
“Language should never be a barrier to public service,” Vargas said, urging the House Committee on Public Information to approve House Bill No. 5418 or the “Plain Language for Public Service Act,” which he principally authored.
“It is crucial that government information should be easily understood in different localities in all our regions,” he added.
The lawmaker made the statement to mark the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Tongue Day on February 21 and to support the call of the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote linguistic and cultural diversity as well as multilingualism worldwide.
The proposed legislation aims to integrate across the country mother tongue languages in public documents, including government forms and applications, public health information leaflets and notices, voting materials and voting education resources, and local government communications and announcements.
The bill also seeks to establish a framework for language selection by area as well as training and capacity-building activities for government agencies covered by the measure.
“This initiative will not only improve government efficiency but also strengthen civic engagement by bridging the communication gap in many of our public transactions,” Vargas said.
