THE free public Wi-Fi bill that will ensure availability of internet services to all Filipinos as well as faster and more efficient broadband services was among three bills approved by the Senate on Monday.
The other two proposed measures approved were the Free Higher Education for All Act and the National Tech-Voc Day Act.
Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said the approval on third and final reading of Senate Bill No. 1277 or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act signified that Filipinos finally had begun the march to digital age.
The proposal seeks to provide free internet access in all national and local government offices; public schools, including state colleges and universities; public hospitals and health centers; public parks, plazas, and libraries; and airports, seaports, and transport terminals.
But Recto, one of the original proponents and now the co-sponsor of the measure, stressed “the benchmark in gauging effectivity is not just the number of Wi-Fi spots but also Internet speed.”
“If Internet is a human right, then Wi-FI is a basic public service. But for [both] to become one, the hindrances which bar [the] full enjoyment by the people must first be removed,” the senator added.
With a vote of 18-0-0, Senator Francisco Pangilinan said the bill’s “approval would give students easy access to the Internet for their studies; families could now frequently contact their loved ones abroad; and public government services requiring Internet connectivity could now be accessed by many,” said Pangilinan, principal author of the bill.
Senator Joel Villanueva commended the passage of three bills coinciding with his advocacy on labor and education.
He said the Free Wi-Fi Act and the Free Education for All Act were the measures which he co-authored, knowing these legislations “support our fight for the provision of free basic social services for our countrymen.”
He said the passage of National Tech-Voc Day which he was privileged to author was another great news as this did not only uplift the dignity of the country’s middle-level manpower but also promoted technical and vocational education and training.
The Free Higher Education for All Act, approved also on third and final reading, is a landmark bill that would help accelerate universal access to tertiary education by providing tuition subsidies and financial assistance to students in state universities and colleges and private higher learning and vocational institutions.
The bill was approved with 18 affirmative votes, no negative vote and no abstention.
The bill was sponsored and authored by Senator Bam Aquino IV, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture.
He also worked for the passage of Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, seen to complement the government’s approved national broadband plan to help improve Internet access across the country.
“We wholeheartedly accept the Senate’s swift action on these measures as this will further encourage us to perform better on our mandated task and pass meaningful legislations for the benefit of every Filipino,” he said.