Sen. Lapid wants foreign language signboards etc to carry translations in Tagalog

Photo from http://www.ispoops.com/photoblog/Lito_Lapid_as_Senator_Xpolpol_1986/

Last week, Senator Lito Lapid filed SBN 2639 or AN ACT AMENDING SECTION 447(a){3)(iv) Of THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, REQUIRING ALL SIGNS, SiGNBOARDS,OR BILLBOARDS WRITTEN IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH TO BEAR CORRESPONDING FILIPINO OR ENGLISH TRANSLATION.

Section 1 of the proposed piece of legislation reads:

SECTION  1.  The  Local  Government  Code  of  the  Philippines,  Book  III,  Title  2, Chapter  III, Article 3,  Section 447(a)(3)(iv)  is  hereby amended to read  as follows: 

"Section  447(a)(3)(iv). Regulate the display of and  fix  the  license  fees  for signs, signboards,  or  billboards  at  the  place  or  places  where  the  profession  or  business advertised  thereby  is,  in whole or in  part,  conducted. SAID SIGNS, SIGNBOARDS, OR BILLBOARDS SHALL BE WRITTEN  IN  FILIPINO OR ENGLISH, OR,  IF WRITTEN  IN A  FOREIGN  LANGUAGE  OTHER  THAN  ENGLISH,  SHALL  BEAR CORRESPONDING FILIPINO OR ENGLISH TRANSLATION"; 

In the Explanatory Note of this 3 page bill, Lapid asserts:

It should  be  remembered  that,  although  these  restaurants and  shops are meant mainly to  provide for  the  basic  necessities  of  these  foreigners,  It  is  deemed  irreverent  that we  Filipinos  are  left  to  wonder what  these  signages mean  and  what  these  businesses  are  for.  I n effect,  we  are  being  alienated  in  our very own  country,  and we  are  left to  figure out for ourselves what these establishments are.

I'll make a guess here, but I think he is referring to the proliferation of signboards and billboards in Korean, Chinese, Japanese and  perhaps even Middle Eastern language characters.

And it's not really a bad idea, really.  Certainly, it'll be a boon to the billion peso billboard industry and makers of various types of signboards -- just imagine how many establishments will have to change their signboards.

But then again, does this even address an issue of true national importance?