15 April 2014 – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco lauded on April 02 San Francisco’s decision to certify Filipino as a required language of the city, calling it a “timely gesture” to ensure full participation of and access to sevices by the growing Filipino ethnic community in the Bay Area.

The certification of the Filipino language means that the city, which has certified Chinese and Spanish as its other two required languages, will require dapartments that interact with the public to provide translated materials, interpreters at public meetings, and other services that ensure that Filipino language speakers have equal access to necessary information, forms, and materials. Although several San Francisco departments already provide services in Filipino, the passage of this ordinance expands the number of services and departments that must include a Filipino translation for their forms, information materials, and other similar items.

“San Francisco is a model for the nation in welcoming immigrants and empowering communities, and we are committed to doing even better on behalf of our immigrant populations,” San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee declared.

“With today’s action, we are ensuring that the more than 10,000 [Filipino]-speaking City residents who are limited English speakers have access to the same information and programs as every other San Franciscan, so that they too can share in the success of our City,” Mayor Lee added.

“We welcome this development, which serves both to acknowledge the growing population of Filipinos, as well as make their services more accessible to our kababayans who are more comfortable with information delivered in Filipino,” Philippine Consul and Acting Head of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco Jaime Ascalon remarked.

Consul Ascalon further stated, “This timely gesture will be invaluable to us, as well, as we work with the City of San Francisco in ensuring that our kababayans are informed about services and programs that can improve their quality of life and make their lives here more productive and comfortable.”

To keep abreast of happenings at the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, bookmark its webpage at http://www.philippinessanfrancisco, like its Facebook page at  http://www.facebook.com/PCGSF, or follow it on Twitter @PhilConGenSF! END