NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
s. No. 834
cftUc!f>c:v?un7)
*22 JUL 25 P1 :29
RKCEIWDB^:
Introduced by Senator Loren B. Legarda
AN ACT
REQUIRING DISASTER-RELATED INFORMATION TO BE STATED 
IN ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE TO ENSURE PUBLIC 
UNDERSTANDING THEREOF
EXPLANATORY NOTE
What people do before, during, and after a disaster can dramatically affect their 
ability to cope with and recover from it. However, information is vital in emergencies 
like these.
For Filipinos to better cope and recover from disasters, accurate information 
presented in a timely and appropriate manner is necessary to facilitate informed 
decisions. While important details regarding impending disasters or calamities are 
already being disseminated to this end, such information is often only communicated 
using the English language. Complete and correct information in Filipino and other 
regional language/s or dialect/ s is lacking.
This bill seeks to mandate all govermnent agencies and local government units 
(LGUs) to translate to Filipino and any other appropriate regional language/ s or 
dialect/s all information relevant to disasters or emergencies. This proposed measure 
aims to develop more disaster-resilient communities by ensuring that all disaster- 
related information is language-accessible and readily comprehensible.


For the above-cited reasons, the passage of this bill is urgently sought.
LOREN LEGARDA


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
o! thi -v;WlT
72 JUL 25 P1 :29
SENATE
s.No. 834
Rl:CElV.-D 8':.
Introduced by Senator Loren B. Legarda
AN ACT
REQUIRING DISASTER-RELATED INFORMATION TO BE STATED 
IN ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE TO ENSURE PUBLIC 
UNDERSTANDING THEREOF
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section, 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Language Accessibility of
2 
Public Information on Disasters Act".
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The right of the people to information on matters
4 
of public concern is recognized in our Constitution. Indeed, communication and
5 
information occupy a vital role in nation-building. In times of disaster and other
6 
emergencies, and to render meaningful and effective people's right to information, it
7 
shall be ensured that announcements, advisories, and similar public communications
8 
are accessible in terms of the language or dialect used.
9 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act;
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(a) Disaster refers to a severe disruption of the functioning of a community
11 
or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or
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enviromnental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the
13 
affected community or society to cope using its own resources. Disasters
14 
are often described as a result of the combination of exposure to a
15 
hazard, the conditions of vulnerability that are present, and insufficient
16 
capacity or measures to reduce or cope with the potential negative
17 
consequences. Disaster impacts may include loss of life, injury, disease.


1 
and other adverse effects on human, physical, mental, and social well-
2 
being, together with damage to property, destruction of assets, loss of
3 
services, social and economic disruption, and environmental
4 
degradation;
5 
(b) Emergency refers to an unforeseen or sudden occurrence, especially
6 
danger, which demands immediate action; and
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(c) State of Calamity refers to a condition involving mass casualty and/ or
8 
significant damages to property and roads, disruption of means of
9 
livelihood, and normal way of life of people in the affected areas as a
10 
result of the occurrence of a natural or human-induced hazard.
11 
Sec. 4. Scope of Application. - This Act shall cover disasters and other kinds of
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emergencies which are (1) national in scope, as declared through a State of Calamity
13 
or State of National Emergency by the President of the Philippines and (2) provincial,
14 
city, or municipal in scope, as declared through a State of Calamity or Emergency by
15 
the appropriate local government unit.
16 
Sec. 5. Language Accessibility of Disaster-Related Information. - In relation to
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disasters and other emergencies covered by Section 4 of this Act, it shall be mandatory
18 
for all government agencies and local government units to convert in an easily
19 
understandable form and translate to Filipino and any other appropriate regional
20 
language/ s or dialect/ s all their announcements, advisories, press releases, issuances,
21 
and any other information relevant to such disaster or emergency, including;
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(a) Tropical Cyclones, signals, and other advisories by the Philippine
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Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
24 
(PAGASA);
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(b) Volcano, Earthquake, Tsunami, and Landslide advisories and bulletins
26 
by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS);
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(c) Announcements, bulletins, and other advisories of the National Disaster
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Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Local Disaster
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Risk Reduction and Management Councils (LDRRMCs) and network of
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Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) Councils composed of
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national, regional, provincial, city, municipal DRRM 
councils and
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barangay DRRM committees;


1 
(d) Information on epidemics, outbreaks, and public health emergencies of
2 
the Department of Health (DOH);
3 
(e) Advisories and warnings released by the Department of Environment
4 
and Natural Resources - Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (DENR-MGB),
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human-induced hazards. Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) advisories,
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Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police
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(PNP) human security concerns; and,
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(f) Information on the Social Amelioration Program, emergency assistance,
9 
and other social protection measures of the Department of Social
10 
Welfare and Development (DSWD).
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Sec. 6. Transition to Filipino and Other Regional Language or Dialect. - The
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translation of the information covered by this Act shall be to Filipino and other
13 
regional language/ s or dialect/ s, as deemed necessary by the government agency and
14 
local government unit concerned considering the geographical location of the affected
15 
communities and the intended recipients of the information. The translated
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information shall be disseminated as widely as possible through all available media
17 
and communication channels.
18 
Sec. 7. Role of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. - The Komisyon sa Wikang
19 
Filipino (KWF) shall render the necessary technical assistance and expertise to the
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government agencies and local government units, including the Bangsamoro
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Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and monitor their compliance
22 
with the duties mandated by this Act.
23 
Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regidations. - Within sixty (60) days from the
24 
effectivity of this Act, the KWF, in consultation with other relevant agencies and
25 
stakeholders, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement the
26 
provisions of this Act.
27 
Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and
28 
regulations, issuances, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
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hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
30 
Sec. 9. Separability Clause. - If any part, section or provision of this Act shall be
31 
held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act shall not be affected
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thereby.


1 
Sec. 10. Ejfectivity Clause. - Tliis Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
2 
complete publication either in title Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of
3 
general circulation.
Approved,