

Malacañang on Thursday confirmed it would hire interpreters for President Rodrigo Duterte’s second State of the Nation Address (Sona) to make sure his impromptu remarks in local languages would be delivered real-time to foreign attendees.

“Maglalagay tayo ng interpreter, iyong marunong mag-Bisaya at Tagalog,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a DZRH radio interview.

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(We will be getting interpreters who know how to speak Bisaya and Tagalog)

“Para kung saka-sakaling mag-tagalog si Presidente [o] mag-Bisaya sa kaniyang speech ay meron kaagad mag-iinterpret para doon sa ating mga diplomatic corps; para maintindihan nila,” he added.

(Just in case the President speaks in Tagalog or Bisaya in his speech, there will be people in charge to interpret for the members of the diplomatic corps to understand)

Andanar said in a previous dzBB radio interview that Duterte may again deliver adlibs in Bisaya or Tagalog during his second Sona on July 24.

Last year, the President did not follow the prepared Sona speech and instead added several impromptu remarks to the issues he discussed.

“Ang problema kasi natin, although lahat nakakaintindi ng English, minsan kasi bini-Bisaya ni Presidente, minsan tina-Tagalog, kaya baka hindi maintindihan,” he said.

(The problem is, although everyone understands English, the President sometimes speak in Bisaya and sometimes in Tagalog that may not be understood)

In Duterte’s second SONA, Andanar said the speech of the President would be based on his accomplishments and issues confronting his administration.

The President, Andanar said, would also discuss issues like martial law in Mindanao and the resurgence of drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison along with old issues like the “endo” and contractualization among Filipino workers.

“Iyong endo talaga ay malaking problema iyan…pero syempre iyong kabuuan ay hindi pa talaga na-sosolve ‘yan,” he added.

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(Endo is really a big problem… but of course the entirety still needs to be resolved)

But the President will also highlight the administration’s progress and plans for the next five years, Andanar said.

“These are the new issues and of course in the context na marami pong na-accomplish ang ating Pangulo sa isang taon,” he added. Winona S. Sadia, INQUIRER.net trainee / JPV

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