Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The world is experiencing unprecedented environmental transformations. Disaster 
preparedness especially with a vulnerable country like ours is an important part of any 
nation’s plan in the long term.  
It is obvious to anyone that a well-informed public is a well-prepared public. However, 
information goes beyond dissemination. It should be accessible and easy to 
understand. In a linguistically diverse nation as ours, English and Tagalog may not be 
sufficient to effectively communicate the risks posed by natural disasters. Those who 
do not fully understand are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and emergency 
due to unfamiliarity and lack of literacy and fluency in the dominant language. 
This bill proposes to require all government agencies and local government units to 
convert in an easily understandable form and translate to Filipino and any other 
appropriate regional language or dialect all their announcements, advisories, press 
releases, issuances and any other information relevant to a local or national disaster 
or emergency.  
The translation of the information shall be to (1) Filipino and (2) other regional 
language/s or dialect/s, as deemed necessary by the government agency and local 
government unit concerned considering the geographical location. This information 
shall be disseminated as widely as possible through all available means. 
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is most earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
 MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE  
TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA 
NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
July 4, 2022
2:25 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
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 Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. –  This Act shall be known as “Language Accessibility of 
Public Information on Disaster Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – The right of the people to information on matters 
of public concern is recognized in our Constitution. Indeed, communication and 
information occupy a vital role in nation-building. In times of disaster and other 
emergencies, and to render meaningful and effective the right of the people to 
information, it shall be ensured that announcements, advisories and similar public 
communications are accessible in terms of the language or dialect used. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
a. Disaster – a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society
involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and 
impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using 
its own resources. 
Disasters are often described as a result of the combination of: the exposure to 
a hazard; the conditions of vulnerability that are present; and insufficient capacity or 
measures to reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences. Disaster 
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impacts may include loss of life, injury, disease and other negative effects on human, 
physical, mental and social well-being, together with damage to property, destruction 
of assets, loss of services, social and economic disruption and environmental 
degradation; 
 
b. Emergency – unforeseen or sudden occurrence, especially danger, 
demanding immediate action; 
 
c. State of Calamity – a condition involving mass casualty and/or major 
damages to property and roads, disruption of means of livelihoods, and normal way of 
life of people in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of a natural or human 
induced hazard. 
 
SECTION 4. Scope of Application. – This Act shall cover disasters and other kinds 
of emergencies which are (1) national in scope, as declared through a State of 
Calamity or State of National Emergency by the President of the Philippines and (2) 
provincial, city, or municipal in scope, as declared through a State of Calamity or 
Emergency by the appropriate local government unit. 
 
SECTION 5. Language Accessibility of Disaster-Related Information. – In relation 
to disasters and other emergencies covered by Section 4 of this Act, it shall be 
mandatory for all government agencies and local government units to convert in an 
easily understandable form and translate to Filipino and any other appropriate regional 
language/s or dialect/s all their announcements, advisories, press releases, 
issuances, and any other information relevant to such disaster or emergency, 
including: 
a) Tropical Cyclones, signals, and other advisories by the Philippine 
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA); 
b) Volcano, Earthquake, tsunami, and landslide advisories and bulletins by the 
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS); 
c) Announcements, bulletins, and other advisories of the National Disaster Risk 
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Local Disaster Risk Reduction and 
Management Councils (LDRRMCs) and network of Disaster Risk Reduction 


 
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Management Councils composed of national, regional, provincial, city, municipal 
DRRM councils and barangay DRRM committees; 
d) Information on epidemics, outbreaks, and public health emergencies of the 
Department of Health (DOH); 
e) Advisories and warnings released by DENR-MGB, human-induced hazards, 
BFP advisories, AFP and PNP human security concerns; and 
f) Information on the Social Amelioration Program, emergency assistance, and 
other social protection measures of the Department of Social Welfare and 
Development (DSWD). 
 
SECTION 6. Translation to Filipino and Other Regional Language or Dialect. – 
The translation of the information covered by this Act shall be to Filipino and other 
regional language/s or dialect/s, as deemed necessary by the government agency and 
local government unit concerned considering the geographical location of the affected 
communities and the intended recipients of the information. The translated information 
shall be disseminated as widely as possible through all available media and 
communication channels. 
 
SECTION 7. Role of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. – The Komisyon sa Wikang 
Filipino (KWF) shall render the necessary technical assistance and expertise to the 
government agencies and local government units including the Bangsamoro 
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and monitor their compliance with 
the duties mandated by this Act. 
 
SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days from 
the Effectivity of this Act, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), in consultation with 
other relevant agencies and stakeholders, shall issue the necessary rules and 
regulations to implement the provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. – All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, 
proclamations, rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 


 
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SECTION 10. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act, or the 
application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held unconstitutional or invalid, 
the remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby. 
 
SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or any newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,