Sen. Bam Aquino has underscored the need to fully implement Republic Act 10929, or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, saying the measure will benefit millions of Filipinos who cannot afford Internet connectivity.
At a Senate Committee on Science and Technology hearing, which he chairs, Aquino stressed that Internet access has become a basic necessity for education, work, and daily life, and must be available in schools, markets, hospitals, transportation hubs, and government offices nationwide.
“Access to the Internet is access to knowledge and to opportunities that can uplift lives. All Filipinos should benefit from the Free WiFi Law,” said Aquino, who sponsored and co-authored the measure in 2017.
He noted that the law was designed to support not only students and teachers but also commuters, entrepreneurs, and families who depend on connectivity for business, information, and communication.
Aquino called for a clear master plan and sufficient funding to ensure its effective implementation, stressing that government agencies must have well-defined responsibilities in carrying out the program.
“The first step is to identify the plan, the funding, and the roles of each agency in implementing the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act,” he said.
Aquino also urged telecommunications firms to provide discounted Internet rates to the Department of Education (DepEd) to help ease the connectivity costs of public schools. Currently, only 2,872 of the country’s 58,121 public schools are connected to the program, forcing most to rely on private subscriptions.
Telco representatives present at the hearing expressed openness to granting discounts, while the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) committed to connect the remaining 11,964 public schools in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) by the end of the year.
