Tugade eyes free 1GB WiFi at all airports within 100 days

In line with Duterte administration's commitment to improve the country's airport services, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade announced that the department is working to provide air passengers free high-speed WiFi service inside airport terminals.

"In due time all our airports will not only be mabango, it will also be communication friendly," Tugade said during the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the transfer of maintenance of airports' public restrooms to airline companies.

"We are now working and hopefully it will be in effect in the next 100 days, Wifi free... one gigabyte, sa lahat ng airports. In 100 days it will be operational," he said.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal noted that the free WiFi service will be at the expense of the provider.

"Walang gagastusin ang gobyerno. It's a facility that is going to be given for our riding public," Monreal said.

Monreal said that both Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart of PLDT Inc. are already providing free WiFi services in MIAA's airports.

"It's just a matter of upgrading the facilities," Monreal said.

"Gagawin ho yon and in fact nag-umpisa na po kaming mag-meeting, iroroll out na. Ang target ho namin na commitment nila sa amin for the entire airport sa MIA... I think if i recall it right it's about August," Monreal said.

The MIAA general manager hoped that with the efforts of the Duterte administration and Department of Transportation, Ninoy Aquino International Airport will be removed from the list of worst airports in the world.

"Sa ating mga gagawin we're hoping na mawala ho tayo ron (worst airport list)," he said.

In 2015, travel site Guide to Sleeping in Airports ranked NAIA as the eighth worst in Asia, a sharp improvement from its previous ranking as world's worst in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

NAIA was the fourth worst airport in 2014.

"Kasi yung 'worst airport' perception 'yan e. Mahirap nating iaddress kasi kung perception lang...everybody has their own perception walang concrete basis dapat merong tayong sorth of templates to really address, see, evaluate, actually," Monreal said.

"Ang nararapat sa tingin ko ay gawin lang natin ang tama para sa mga manlalakbay, sa ating mga kababayan, mga bisita, yun lang dapat and let them be the judge kasi hindi tayo pwedeng mag-judge doon e," he added. —JST, GMA News