Law Summary
Definitions
- Commission: Commission on the Filipino Language.
- Chairman: Chairman of the Commission.
- Filipino: National language of the Philippines.
- Philippine languages: Indigenous languages including national, regional, and local languages.
- Regional language: Commonly spoken lingua franca within a region.
- Major language: Spoken by at least 2% of Filipinos.
- Auxiliary language: Supports national/official languages in specific functions.
- Other languages: Foreign languages influencing indigenous languages and culture.
- Ethnolinguistic regions: Areas where specific languages are commonly spoken.
- Disciplines: Various academic and professional fields.
Creation and Composition of the Commission
- A Commission on the Filipino Language is established under the Office of the President.
- Eleven commissioners represent major languages and ethnolinguistic regions.
- Commissioners also represent various academic disciplines.
- One Chairman and two commissioners serve full-time; the rest serve part-time.
Appointment, Qualifications, and Terms
- Commissioners appointed by the President with Commission on Appointments’ consent.
- Nominees come from ethnolinguistic groups.
- Chairman and full-time commissioners serve 7 years; others serve 3 or 5 years.
- Commissioners must be natural-born Filipinos, at least 30 years old, morally upright, and experts in linguistics and culture.
- Reappointment allowed for one additional term.
Vacancy and Compensation
- Vacancy replacements serve only the unexpired term.
- Commission recommends replacements within 30 days; President appoints upon failure.
- Chairman/full-time commissioners receive salaries and privileges equal to constitutional commissions.
- Part-time commissioners receive honoraria per meeting.
Commission Operations
- Adopts own rules and meets at least monthly.
- Majority quorum required to transact business.
- Determines its organizational structure.
- Technical personnel exempt from standard civil service requirements.
Director General and Secretariat
- Director General appointed for 7 years, may be reappointed once.
- Powers, duties, and compensation set by the Commission.
- Secretariat headed by the Director General.
Powers and Duties
- Formulate policies for Filipino’s development, enrichment, propagation, and preservation.
- Issue rules, regulations, and guidelines for policy implementation.
- Conduct and commission research and studies.
- Develop multilingual dictionaries incorporating words from other languages.
- Set linguistic standards for official communications and educational materials.
- Promote writing and publication of original works through incentives.
- Operate translation division for historical, legal, educational, and foreign materials.
- Seek inter-agency and private sector cooperation.
- Conduct public hearings, seminars, and discussions nationwide.
- Monitor and report performance nationally and locally.
- Appoint and dismiss officials and employees.
- Organize and restructure the Commission without reducing existing personnel rights.
Publication Privileges
- Commission’s publications entitled to free postage use.
Transfer of Existing Institute
- All assets and personnel of the Institute of Philippine Languages transferred to the Commission.
- Tenure and conditions of former Institute personnel preserved.
- Institute deemed abolished upon Commission’s full operation.
Appropriations
- Initial funding from Institute’s current appropriations.
- Subsequent funding to be appropriated annually.
Language Versions and Legal Validity
- Act promulgated in Filipino and English and translated into regional languages.
- Filipino version is binding in case of doubt.
Miscellaneous Provisions
- Separability clause ensures unaffected validity of remaining provisions if any part is invalidated.
- Repealing clause removes conflicting laws and orders.
- Effectivity starts 15 days post-publication in Official Gazette or a newspaper.