Someday, Filipinos may be able to check their Facebook accounts when they’re at a bus terminal — for free.
That’s because a bill that seeks to provide free Wi-Fi in land transportation terminals, stops, and RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) terminals has been approved by the senate on its third and final reading on Tuesday.
Known as Senate Bill 1749 or the “Act to Improve Land Transportation Terminals, Stations, Stops, Resto Areas and Roll-on/Roll-off Terminals,” it was approved with 18 affirmative votes.
Not a single senator abstained from voting for it, nor was there anyone who voted against the bill.
RoRo ships are designed to carry land vehicles at sea. Popularly used in the country, cars can be driven into and out of the ships using platform vehicles. The biggest RoRo port in terms of vehicles transported is located in Batangas. According to Entrepreneur Philippines, more than 646,000 vehicles passed through the port in 2016.
Sponsored by Senator Grace Poe, the bill also requires operators of terminals and stops to provide passengers with free access to toilets as well as lactating stations for breastfeeding mothers.
As cool as this all is, Filipinos will have to wait a while before it all becomes reality.
The bill will still be sent to the House of Representatives first for approval. There, it has to hurdle three readings before it is sent for the president to be finally signed into law.
In spite of the fact that it still has a long journey before a possible implementation, Poe seemed pleased with the developments.
According to Rappler, she said: “Looking for a clean toilet will no longer be as hard as winning a prize in a game show. All toilets should be clean and passengers should not be made to pay whenever they use them.”
Entrepreneur Philippines said the bill, if signed into law, would require owners and operators of stops and terminals to provide separate bathrooms for persons with disabilities; that toilets should have adequate ventilation and lighting; enough water supply; toilet paper, soap, waste bins; and dryers, among others.
Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Agency, Poe added: “79 percent of domestic travelers in 2016 spent around PHP476 (US$8.92) per trip for land transportation. Let us repay them with transport terminals that have clean toilets free of charge, a decent breastfeeding station, and free Wi-Fi or internet.”
According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Transportation, and other agencies will be in charge of providing free Wi-Fi in the terminals.
