By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz | Philippine News Agency
The Pasig River Ferry Service (PRFS) has equipped its boats with free Wi-Fi for its passengers through a partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
The service is meant to entice the public to ride the ferry, said Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Romando Artes during the launch of the service at the San Joaquin Ferry Station in Pasig on Thursday.
“Our focus now shifts toward the rigorous improvement of service quality, ensuring that every passenger enjoys a seamless and reliable connection from the moment they enter the terminal until they disembark,” Artes said.
The program is part of the DICT’s Free Public Internet Access Program (FPIAP), with each ferry station and boat capable of providing maximum connection speeds of 40 to 60 Mbps, or 10 to 20 Mbps during rush hours.
Artes was joined in the launch by DICT Secretary Henry Aguda, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo.
To further improve the PRFS, he said, more electric ferry boats will be of service, in addition to more ferry stations.
On the other hand, Aguda highlighted the importance of connectivity in transportation facilities to provide more access to opportunities and information.
“Ngayon, hindi puwedeng biyahe lang; dapat biyaheng konektado. Ang FPIAP sa PRFS ay serbisyong magbibigay ginhawa sa mga komunidad,” he said.
To date, free WiFi is available at the ferry stations of Lambingan, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Sta. Ana, Maybunga, Pinagbuhatan, San Joaquin, Hulo, Valenzuela, Kalawaan, Guadalupe, Quinta, and Escolta.
In addition, the ferry boats Mutya 1, Mutya 2, and Vicente will also have free WiFi access points.
The free WiFi at the PRFS is part of restoration and beautification efforts for the Pasig River alongside the “Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli” initiative of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
