ANGELES CITY -- A city councilor is pushing for the creation of a special task force that will implement an ordinance that requires establishments’ translation of foreign characters on billboards and other advertising signages.
Councilor Jesus Sangil said the task force--which will be composed by representatives from police, tourism department, media and the business sector--may also monitor the actual operation of foreign establishments particularly at the Korea Town.
The councilor said the move will also prevent any illegal activities inside the establishments.
“We don’t know what kinds of services or products the establishments offer or if there are illegal activities inside because we don’t understand the wordings of their billboards,” Sangil said in the vernacular.
With the influx of tourists brought about by the full operation of Clark International Airport, Sangil said all signages with foreign characters should be regulated.
“We don’t want tourists and even our locals to be discriminated because of these signages in business establishments that bear foreign characters,” he said.
The city official earlier urged the City Government to strictly enforce an ordinance requiring establishments to include English translations on their billboards and signages with foreign characters.
Sangil said the City Government should implement City Council Ordinance Number 225 Series of 2008 particularly at the Korea Town in Barangay Anunas.
Ordinance Number 225 is an ordinance requiring all trade establishments and enterprises with signages, billboards, and other forms of advertisements with foreign characters and inscriptions to include translation in English in their advertising materials as medium.”
He said the ordinance stipulates penalties for violators -- fine of P2,500 and removal of signage/billboards by the City Government for the first offense; a fine of P5,000 and one month suspension of business permit for the second offense; and revocation of business permit for the third offense.
The ordinance was sponsored by Sangil and Councilors Ruben Maniago and Rudy Simeon.
He also cited Resolution Number 4909 Series of 2006 urging Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, and other foreigners to provide English translation on all their sign and billboard advertisements for other nationalities to understand.
Sangil, together with Councilor Dan Lacson, also sponsored the said resolution.