Public toilets: Mar heeds call of nature

AS THE government’s infrastructure program kicks into high gear, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is setting its sights on improving one important aspect of the commuter experience that everyone can be happy about: Public toilets.

In a press conference Thursday, Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas announced a plan to upgrade and construct new restrooms in airports, seaports and other public spaces around the country.

“We are giving a heads up to the business community that may want to bid for this contract. The DOTC will be fixing, upgrading, repairing—all of the above—toilets across the country,” he told reporters.

“This will be done at airports, seaports, train stations, even LTO (Land Transportation Office) offices, or in all areas where we transact business directly with the public,” said Roxas, who added that this was the DOTC’S way of being mindful of the needs of commuters.

Under the project, the DOTC will refurbish 786 restrooms and build 231 new ones. The project will be bid out in two phases, with the first being for the supply of fixtures like toilet bowls and sinks.

The second phase would be for the “public works” side of the project, or the installation of the fixtures.

Roxas said the government expects to realize savings from the project since it would buy the fixtures at wholesale prices. “The government can avail of large discounts of as much as 35 percent, compared to if we were buying one by one,” he said.

From an earlier estimate of P66 million, Roxas said the DOTC now expects to spend only around P40 million.

Roxas said the upgrading of rest rooms would be done to make travelling to and within the Philippines more convenient for both Filipinos and foreigners.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 1 has been repeatedly cited as one of the world’s worst airports, with one of the reasons being its dirty restrooms that have toilets that don’t flush. Other public spaces aren’t in any better condition, often lacking water, toilet paper and other amenities.