QC trial court uses Filipino in hearing during Buwan ng Wika

The move highlights the limited use of Filipino in an English-dominated legal system.

In celebration of Buwan ng Wika, trial courts are encouraging litigators to use Filipino in court proceedings—a notable shift in a legal system that predominantly uses English, which many Filipinos struggle to understand or navigate.

The move followed a July request from the Philippine Trial Lawyers Association asking the Supreme Court to mandate the use of Filipino in courtrooms nationwide throughout August. While the SC did not issue a formal directive, some trial courts adopted the request independently.

One such court was a regional trial court in Quezon City, where Atty. Crystal Mercado-Bassig experienced something she had never encountered in her 14 years of practicing law: a hearing conducted largely in Filipino.

“Even the judge, she was speaking straight Tagalog or Filipino,” Mercado-Bassig told radar Lifestyle. “And it was really wonderful to hear that.”

The request to use Filipino was made just five minutes before the scheduled hearing, she said. The court allowed English for technical terms that have no direct equivalent, such as “memorandum,” but the general procedure was carried out in Filipino.

Mercado-Bassig noted that her upbringing as a Batangueña made it easier for her to switch between English and Filipino. “Medyo marami akong dala talagang Tagalog words na mas malalim, because it’s inherent in me na lumaki sa Batangas,” she said. “So, ang bilis ko nag-switch.”

Still, she asked to be given more time to “prepare,” as lawyers like her are accustomed to English proceedings.

English remains the predominant language in professional and judicial transactions across the country. While many Filipinos are competent in English, proficiency in the language varies.

A 2023 Social Weather Stations survey found that 80% of Filipino adults understood spoken and written English, while 69% said they could write in English, and 55% could speak it. Nearly half, or 47%, said they could think in English.

There has been a push to promote Filipino, including in government, but efforts remain limited. The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino is tasked with translating government documents and proceedings into local languages, but there is no national law mandating the translation of laws and legal procedures.

Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno filed House Bill No. 3863 or the “Batas sa Sariling Wika Act” in August 2025, proposing the translation of all penal laws into Tagalog, Cebuano, and Ilokano. The bill remains pending at the committee level. Last Aug. 3, the lawmaker renewed his call for the passage of HB 3863.

The Supreme Court, meanwhile, has also issued two decisions in Filipino this year, both penned by Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh. The second, released this month, involved a child abuse case, while the first, issued in May, dismissed a tax evasion appeal filed by businessman Mel Velarde as moot and academic.

But outside such instances, Filipino may only be used in court with the permission of the presiding judge. Local languages are typically limited to witness examination or quoted evidence, according to Mercado-Bassig.

She advocates for wider use of Filipino and other Philippine languages in the judiciary to make the law more understandable to the average citizen.

“Hindi naman para sa amin ‘yung hearing,” she said. “It’s for the litigants. It’s for my client.”

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