By Junex Doronio
MANILA — In his bid to promote English as a second language, Negros Occidental 3rd district Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez has proposed to ban the dubbing of English language films and television programs into the Filipino language.
Benitez’s House Bill 9939 wants Filipino dubbing of English-language motion pictures and television programs distributed or broadcasted in the Philippines to be prohibited.
“We must therefore help younger generations acquire English in different settings, and through different media, to enable them to communicate better and explore new horizons, in terms of employment and social interaction,” Benitez said.
He explained that mass media can be a platform to teach English as a second language as he expressed concerns about the impact of a low level of proficiency in English as a second language in the country.
Furthermore, HB 9939 would require Filipino subtitles for English-language movies and programs, provided that English-language closed captions shall be provided as an option for English-language audio content.
However, Benitez said TV commercials and TV programs shown from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Philippine Standard Time (PST) are exempted from this prohibition.
Benitez’s proposed law provides that courts may be empowered to penalize violations with fines of P50,000 to P100,000, and jail time of six (6) months to one year or both.
(el Amigo/MNM)