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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by Representatives Bryan B. Revilla, Lani Mercado-Revilla, and Ramon 
Jolo B. Revilla III 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
More tropical cyclones are entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) 
than anywhere else in the world. An average of 20 tropical cyclones enter this region 
per year, with about 8 or 9 of them crossing the Philippines1. 
According to the Office of Civil Defense, at least 1.9 million individuals across 
the country have been affected by Tropical Storm Crising, the southwest monsoon or 
habagat, and a low-pressure area (LPA).2 This figure represents the first major storm 
system to impact the Philippine archipelago in the 2025 typhoon season.   
Countless lives and properties from disasters could have been saved if proper 
information is communicated and well understood. The general public could have 
prepared and evacuated if they were given adequate and useful information, in clear 
and vivid terms, as to the scale and impact of the upcoming calamity. In the same vein, 
peace and order could be maintained and social panic will be prevented which is 
usually caused by wrong and ambiguous information.  
This proposed legislation seeks to protect public health and safety by making 
mandatory for all government agencies and local government units (LGUs) to convert 
in an easily understandable form and translate to Filipino and any other appropriate 
regional languages or dialects all announcements and advisories relevant to disasters, 
including typhoons, floods and storm surges, volcanic activities, earthquakes, 
landslides, human-induced hazards and public health emergencies.  
In this light, passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
        REP. BRYAN B. REVILLA  
REP. LANI MERCADO-REVILLA 
  Representative, AGIMAT Party-list 
 Representative, 2nd District of Cavite  
REP. RAMON JOLO B. REVILLA III 
Representative, 1st District of Cavite
1 https://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/climate/tropical-cyclone-information  
2 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2086016/habagat-crising-affect-1-9m-filipinos-ocd 
September 8, 2025
9:17 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by Representatives Bryan B. Revilla, Lani Mercado-Revilla, and Ramon 
Jolo B. Revilla III 
AN ACT    
REQUIRING DISASTER-RELATED INFORMATION TO BE STATED IN 
ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE TO ENSURE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING THEREOF 
AND TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY 
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 
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Information on Disasters Act”  
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Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The right of the people to information on matters of 
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public concern is recognized in our Constitution. Indeed, communication and 
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information occupy a vital role in nation-building. In times of disaster and other 
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emergencies, and to render meaningful and effective the right of the people to 
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information, it shall be ensured that announcements, advisories and similar public 
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communications are accessible in terms of the language or dialect used.  
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Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
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a) Disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society
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involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses
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and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society
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to cope using its own resources.
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Disasters are often described as a result of the combination of the exposure
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to a hazard, the conditions of vulnerability that are present, and insufficient
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capacity or measured to reduce or cope with the potential negative
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consequences. Disaster impacts may include loss of life, injury, disease and
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other negative effects on human, physical, mental and social well-being,
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together with damage to property, destruction of assets, loss of services,
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social and economic disruption and environmental degradation.
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b) Emergency is unforeseen or sudden occurrence, especially danger,
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demanding immediate action;
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c) State of Calamity is a condition involving mass casualty and/or major
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damages to property and roads, disruption of means of livelihoods and
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normal way of life in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of
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natural or human-induced hazard.
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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 
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or State of National Emergency by the President of the Philippines and (2) provincial, 
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city or municipal in scope, as declared through a State of Calamity or Emergency by 
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the appropriate local government unit.  
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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 
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for all government agencies and local government units to convert in an easily 
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understandable form and translate to Filipino and any other appropriate regional 
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language/s or dialect/s all their announcements, advisories, press releases, issuances 
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and any other information relevant to such disaster or emergency, including:  
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a) Tropical Cyclones, signals, flood warning, storm surge, dry spell/drought, 
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and other advisories by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and 
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Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA); 
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b) Volcanic activity and eruption, earthquake, tsunami and landslide advisories 
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and bulletins by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology 
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(PHIVOLCS); 
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c) Announcements, bulletins and other advisories of the National Disaster Risk 
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Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Local Disaster Risk 
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Reduction and Management Councils (LDRRMC) and network of Disaster 
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Risk Reduction and Management Councils composed of national, regional, 
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provincial, city, municipal DRRM councils and barangay committees; 
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d) Information on epidemics, disease outbreaks, infestation, and other public 
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health emergencies of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department 
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of Agriculture (DA); 
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e) Advisories and warnings released by the Department of Environment and 
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Natural Resources (DENR) – Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and 
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the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), human-induced hazards, and human 
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security concerns of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the 
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Philippine National Police (PNP); and  
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f) Information on the Social Amelioration Program, emergency assistance and 
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other social protection measures of the Department of Social Welfare and 
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Development (DSWD).  
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As much as practicable, such disaster-related information shall be issued and 
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disseminated using plain language and devoid of scientific jargon or technical 
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terminologies. It shall also contain specific information on the extent and scale of 
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impending impact and damage down to barangay level.  
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Sec. 6. Translation 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 regional 
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language/s or dialect/s, as deemed necessary by the government agency and local 
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government unit concerned considering the geographical location of the affected 
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communities and the intended recipients of the information. The translated information 
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shall be disseminated as widely as possible through all available media and 
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communication channels.  
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Sec. 7. Role of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. – The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino 
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(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 with 
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the duties mandated by this Act.   
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Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days from the 
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effectivity of this Act, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), in consultation with 
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other relevant agencies and stakeholders, shall promulgate the necessary rules and 
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regulations to implement the provisions of this Act. 
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Sec. 9. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise 
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affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
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Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or 
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inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended 
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accordingly. 
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Sec. 11. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
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the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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