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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Friday, Agusto 4, 2017
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MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte signed laws extending the validity of passports and providing free wireless internet in public places.
Signed on Aug. 2, Republic Act (RA) 10928 makes regular Philippine passports valid for 10 years, up from the previous five years.
But Section 10 of the law provides that passports for applicants below 18 years old shall be valid for only five years.
In his first State of the Nation Address last year, Duterte urged Congress to amend Republic Act 8239, or the Philippine Passport Act of 1996.
The President claimed to have seen people spending the night outside SM Davao to process their passport application.
“Nasasaktan talaga ako. Masakit ito,” Duterte then said. “Tutal kayo naman ang gagawa ng batas, you’re the ones who will pass the law, even if you make it good for 30 years, OK ako. Basta, stretch a little bit.”
On the other hand, RA 10929 – the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act – rolls out free Wi-Fi connection in public areas such as national and local government offices, public basic education institutions, state universities and colleges, public hospitals, health centers, public parks, public airports and seaports, and public transport terminals.
The law – also signed on Aug. 2 – aims to “promote knowledge-building among citizens and enable them to participate and compete in the evolving information and communication age.”
Under the Free Public Internet Access Program, any website with pornographic content shall be prohibited, the law said.
Moreover, Section 11 stated that the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Interagency Council Against Child Pornography shall develop standards and mechanisms for the protection of children online./PN
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