The Senate on Tuesday approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to improve the restroom facilities in land transportation and roll-on/roll-off terminals nationwide.
Senate Bill 1749, or the “Act to Improve Land Transportation Terminals, Stations, Stops, Resto Areas and Roll-on/Roll-off Terminals,” was approved with 18 affirmative votes, no negative vote and zero abstention.
Senator Grace Poe, the primary author, and sponsor of the bill thanked her colleagues for the speedy approval of the proposed measure, saying the days of unsanitary and unkempt restrooms in transport terminals would soon be over.
“Clean restrooms would not seem like game show prizes anymore. Everything would be clean and no fees should be collected for the use of comfort rooms. Land and RoRo terminals will become oases for our travelers,” Poe said.
Once enacted into law, operators or administrators of land transport terminals, stations, stops, rest areas and RoRo terminals would be required to provide clean and sanitary facilities for passengers.
Collection of fees from passengers for the use of sanitary facilities in transport terminals will also be prohibited.
This, however, does not cover deluxe comfort rooms.
The measure also sought to mandate the Department of Information and Communications Technology, in coordination with the Department of Transportation and other concerned agencies, to provide free Internet access in transport terminals and to establish at least one lactation station that is separate from sanitary facilities.
“To borrow a phrase from our Senate President [Tito Sotto], wherever you go from Batanes to Jolo (sic)—whether you want to chill in Baguio, surf in Baler, eat in Buyos, Pangasinan, or drink coffee in Batangas—you can expect a brief yet pleasant respite in our terminals,” Poe said.
Observers have noted that the southernmost province of the Philippines is not Sulu but Tawi Tawi, whose capital town is Bongao.