Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL No. _______ 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Introduced by HONORABLE ERNESTO “ERNIX” M. DIONISIO, JR. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
AN ACT REQUIRING THE USE OF PLAIN LANGUAGE IN ALL GOVERNMENT-ISSUED 
PUBLIC ADVISORIES, NOTICES, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SIMILAR DOCUMENTS 
INTENDED FOR PUBLIC DISSEMINATION AND DISTRIBUTION 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
 The government should aspire to make itself more accessible to the citizenry. 
To achieve this, communication between the former and the latter must be in general 
terms, unless the situation requires the use of more technical words. However, the 
government must ensure that relevant information reaches the masses lest it alienates 
them from vital knowledge. 
This bill seeks to introduce mechanisms in place, upon consultation with 
relevant stakeholders, to ensure that government issuances are easy to understand, 
without the need to resort to secondary resources to understand them.  
In view of this, the passage of this bill is sought. 
October 7, 2022
9:00 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL No. _______ 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Introduced by HONORABLE ERNESTO “ERNIX” M. DIONISIO, JR. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
AN ACT REQUIRING THE USE OF PLAIN LANGUAGE IN ALL GOVERNMENT-ISSUED 
PUBLIC ADVISORIES, NOTICES, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SIMILAR DOCUMENTS 
INTENDED FOR PUBLIC DISSEMINATION AND DISTRIBUTION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Plain Language in Government 
Documents Act." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - In recognition of the vital role of communication 
and information in nation-building, all documents and communications from the government 
intended for public dissemination and distribution shall be clear, comprehensible, concise, and 
language-accessible. The citizenry must be able to easily understand and use the information 
presented in such documents. 
SECTION 3. Plain Language in All Government Documents. - To ensure the widest 
accessibility, clarity and easy understanding of public information, all national government 
agencies, offices, instrumentalities, including government-owned and-controlled corporations 
(GOCCS), are hereby mandated to adopt the use of plain language in English, Filipino and/or 
other regional languages or dialects, as may be deemed necessary, for all covered documents 
under this Act. For this purpose, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) is hereby tasked with 
the duty of monitoring and ensuring the implementation of this plain language requirement. 
For GOCCs, the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) shall be the agency tasked to 
perform this duty. 
SECTION 4. Scope of Application. - The following are the documents issued by the 
government intended for public dissemination and distribution covered by this Act: 
a. Advisories;
b. Notices;
c. Announcements;
d. Bulletins;
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e. Forms and other papers for the application, request or enjoyment of a public service, 
right, privilege, benefit, license, clearance, permit, etc.;  
f. The agency's citizens' charter;  
g. Documents detailing and explaining a government program, activity or project;  
h. Replies and responses to an inquiry or request for assistance or information; and  
i. Any other document that the CSC or GCG as the case may be, in consultation with 
the agency or office concerned, deems as important to be included in this Act's coverage.  
SECTION 5. Training and Capacity-Building. - The CSC and GCG shall regularly 
conduct trainings, seminars and other similar capacity-building activities for the offices and 
agencies covered by this Act. For plain language In Filipino and other regional languages or 
dialects, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) shall be tapped to facilitate the necessary 
capacity-building activities.  
SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the CSC and GCG, in coordination with the KWF, the Philippine 
Information Agency (PIA), and other relevant government agencies and stakeholders, shall 
issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.  
SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, 
proclamations, rules and regulations, or any part thereof, which are inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.  
SECTION 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) day after its publication 
in at least two (2) newspaper of general circulation.  
Approved,