Sen. Raffy Tulfo asks the Office of the Press Secretary to practice issuing notices written in both English and Filipino so that everyone can understand them. (Adrian Luciano/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — The use of Filipino language in government offices, especially when disseminating information, got another push from Senator Raffy Tulfo on Monday.
At the hearing of the Senate committee on public information, Tulfo lamented that notices in almost all government offices are written in English.
“Hindi naman po lahat ng pupunta sa government establishments para makipag transact ay mga nakapag aral po, mayayaman. Karamihan po sa kanila ay from the poorest of the poor. Marami po sa kanila hindi po nakakaintidi ng English,” he said.
(Not everyone who visits government establishments to transact are educated, rich. Many of them are from the poorest of the poor. Many don’t understand English.)
“Baka pwede hong makapag request na mula ngayon, under your watch, make it a point na pwede ho ba kayong maglagay ng notice dun na English and then may katapat po na Tagalog (translation),” Tulfo said, directing his request to Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles.
(Can we request that from now on, under your watch, make it a point to have the notice in English with Filipino translation.)
He pointed out that in other countries, English notices and signages are translated in the native language.
“Bakit dito sa Pilipinas, pinagpipilitan nating English ng English yung mga notices, nakakalimutan po natin ang wikang Tagalog,” he said.
(Why here in the Philippines, we insist using English language in our notices that we forget our Filipino language.)
“So pwede ho bang… from now on, sa lahat ng government establishments, side by side in English and then may tagalog para po dun sa hindi masyado nakakaintindi ng English,” Tulfo stressed.
(So is it possible that from now on, in all government establishments, let’s use use side by side English and Filipino [languages] for those who can’t understand English.)
Cruz-Angeles responded positively to the request, saying she can commit that their notices will be both in English and Filipino.
She also noted that no less than President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has enjoined everyone to “intellectualize” the Filipino language to further promote and expand the use of the native language.
“Kaya nga po isa po dun sa bisyon natin e yung NPO at APO ay makapaglimbag ng mas mura at magkagroon tayo ng mga authors dun sa mga ibat bang wika dito sa Pilipinas,” the Press Secretary said, referring to the National Printing Office and the Apo Productions Unit Inc.
(That’s why one of our visions is for NPO and APO to publish cheaper books and to have authors from different dialects here in the Philippines.
Despite this promise, Tulfo went on, noting that other television networks have already been translating their telenovelas to Filipino to reach more audience.
“E bakit po tayo sa gobyerno pa English-English pa?” he asked.
(Why is it in government, we still use English?)