Language Accessibility of Public Information on Disasters Act

i me of t M.Co TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 25 AUG -5 P3:47 SENATE RECEIVIDE! S. No. _ Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada AN ACT REQUIRING DISASTER-RELATED INFORMATION TO BE STATED IN ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE TO ENSURE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING THEREOF AND TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY EXPLANATORY NOTE The Philippines is a country that is prone to natural disasters. The study conducted by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative of the Harvard University, "Perceptions of Disaster Resilience and Preparedness in the Philippines", that was published on June 2018 confirms this by stating that, "The Philippines is one of the world's most disaster-prone countries. Located along the boundary of major tectonic plates and at the center of a typhoon belt, its islands are regularly impacted by floods, typhoons, landslides, earthquakes, volcanoes, and droughts. The Philippines also ranks among the top three countries in the world for population exposure and vulnerability to hazards. The Philippine government has developed strong coping mechanisms over their long history of experience with disasters. Yet, significant gaps remain in disaster management capacities across different regions of the Philippines and surprisingly little data are available referencing local levels of disaster resilience and preparedness."

The Asian Development Bank's Second Disaster Resilience Improvement Program stated that, "The Philippines consistently ranks as one of the countries with the highest disaster risk worldwide. In 2023, the Philippines ranked highest on disaster risk out of 193 countries, with an index value of 46.86, which translates to a "very high" risk classification." It also provided a comprehensive analysis of the impact of disasters in the country from 2003 to 2023 which, "indicates that a total of 322 disaster events resulted in 25,178 casualties, affected 168 million people, and caused $29.3 billion (P1.60 trillion) in damages. Of these events, 86% are caused by hydrometeorological and climatological hazards; and 11% are geophysical events. Hydrometeorological and climatological disasters affected the greatest number of people, claimed most lives, and caused most of the damage over the 20-year period. The probabilistic risk computation of the annual average loss per hazard in the Philippines shows that the country has been suffering mostly from wind, flood, and storm surge damage every year. The recorded annual average damage from all hazards is about $7.7 billion (P422 billion), which is equivalent to 1.7% of the country's GDP in 2023, placing the annual disaster damage at about 1% to 3% of GDP."1 More important than economic loss is the danger and lost of lives of the people because of insufficient or inappropriate communication from authorities to their constituents. This may range from misinformation, miscommunication, to outright absence of information dissemination in far-flung areas during times of disasters and calamities. The "Language Accessibility of Public Information on Disasters Act" mandates all government agencies and local government units to convert in an easily understandable form and translate to Filipino and any appropriate regional languages or dialects all information for the public related to disasters and calamities. 1 Second Disaster Resilience Improvement Program: Sector Assessment (Summary): Public Sector Management (Disaster Risk Management)

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 25 AUG -5 P3:47 SENATE RECEIVED O S. No. 926 Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada AN ACT REQUIRING DISASTER-RELATED INFORMATION TO BE STATED IN ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE TO ENSURE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING THEREOF 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

2 Public information on Disasters Act.

Sec. 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 8 communications are accessible in terms of the language or dialect used.

Sec. 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 measured to reduce or cope with the

potential negative consequences. Disaster 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 in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of natural or human-induced hazard.

Sec. 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.

Sec. 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, flood warning, storm surge, dry spell/drought, and other advisories by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA); b) Volcanic activity and eruption, 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 (LDRRMC) and network of

Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils composed of national, regional, provincial, city, municipal DRRM councils and barangay committees; d) Information on epidemics, disease outbreaks, infestation, and other public health emergencies of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Agriculture (DA); e) Advisories and warnings released by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), human-induced hazards, and human security concerns of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP); and f) Information on the Social Amelioration Program, emergency assistance and other social protection measures of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). As much as practicable, such disaster-related information shall be issued and disseminated using plain language and devoid of scientific jargon or technical terminologies. It shall also contain specific information on the extent and scale of impending impact and damage down to barangay level.

Sec. 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.

Sec. 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.

Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from

the effectivity of this Act, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), in consultation

1 with other relevant agencies and stakeholders, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.

Sec. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or

unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,

executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

Sec. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Officia/ Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,