Regional assembly of court interpreters: Leyte governor, Palo mayor outline need for human resources improvement

CEBU, Philippines – Enhancement of the abilities of human resources is imperative in making the community resilient from disasters, and in inculcating values in the workplace, which in turn could spur economic growth.

This was the gist in the messages of Leyte Governor Dominico Petilla and Palo town Mayor Matin Petilla, during the Regional Assembly of the Philippine Association of Court Interpreters (PHILACI) over the weekend in Palo town.

Governor Petilla told the court interpreters that the people are the most important asset to a country or an organization in developing the economy and make it strong.

Health, education, skills and infrastructure plus a good environment should support efforts to improved human resources, he said.

Mayor Petilla, for her part, emphasized the importance of “putting people where they should really be so they can come out the best in that field of work.”

The two Leyte officials agreed to the essentials of inculcating values in the workplace. “Human development equals values,” the governor said, but added, “Bad values hampers justice, development and economic growth because with lawlessness there is no economic growth.”

Governor Petilla told the court interpreters, “We have duty to each others. No good deed is good unless it is done unto others,” quoting a famous adage.

Mayor Petilla, who said she was once an stenographer when she founded the Ladies Association of Court Employees (LACE), urged them to continue doing their best in discharging their official functions.

“In your duty as (court) interpreters, hangs the life of a person,” she warned, urging them to be more circumspect in the translation works during trials. “The secret in work is, if you love your work and you are comfortable with it, you will always do best,” said the mayor.

The court interpreters also got a briefing from Joseph Ballesteros, co-founder of Wikimedia Philippines, and Michael Glen Ong, coordinator of Sinirangan Bisaya Wikimedia Community, about the use of Waray Wiktionary as tools for accurate translations of languages into the Waray dialect to help the accuser and the accused in courts.

The PHILACI-Region 8 has been trying to tap the Waray Wiktionary in the future to help them improve their translation works, in line with the assembly’s theme: PHILACI-8: Exploring Ways to Excellent Translation.”

PHILACI national president Marie Fe Cachola and national vice president Vicky Lim also attended the assembly to discuss on the proposed amendments to the PHILACI constitution and by-laws, which will be deliberated during the national convention in Subic, Zambales in December, next year. (FREEMAN)