Senator Grace Poe called on the government and telecommunications companies (telcos) to ensure that the mandatory registration of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) will be a convenient, secure and easy experience for mobile phone owners.
“The SIM registration should be as easy as texting or sending a message,” Poe said as the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the SIM Registration law took effect on December 27, 2022.
The veteran legislator enjoined telcos, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), key regulators and other concerned agencies to see to it that all hands are on deck for the orderly and effective rollout of the law.
“Telcos should have portals for registration that are user-friendly and secure to encourage mobile users to enlist without hassle and interruption of services.”
“Telcos should have portals for registration that are user-friendly and secure to encourage mobile users to enlist without hassle and interruption of services,” the principal author and sponsor of the law stressed.
The chairperson of the Senate committee on public services said that the system should also provide the means to register for people in need of assistance such as persons with disabilities, senior citizens, minors, pregnant and those without internet connection.
Massive and constant information drive should also be undertaken to encourage subscribers to register their SIM and to assure them of the safety of their data, the seasoned lawmaker added.
Few weeks before the IRR takes effect, the lady lawmaker has also been issuing through her social media accounts Q&As about the law and helpful tips on how to register.
Signed into law in October 2022, Republic Act No. 11934 or the SIM Registration Act is one way to fight scams done through text and online messages, which have become more prevalent in recent years.
The rules require all mobile subscribers to enroll their SIMs, including eSIMs, within 180 days from the effectiveness of the IRR or face deactivation.
The registration may be extended for a period not exceeding 120 days.
The SIM of those who will not register within the given period will be deactivated. The SIM may be reactivated only after registering, but not later than five days after deactivation.
For existing subscribers, the telcos are tasked to include their information and data in the SIM register.
To complete the registration, postpaid subscribers must confirm their information and data in the SIM register through the telcos’ platform.
SIM registration will be done electronically through a secure platform or website provided by the telcos.
The IRR states that those who will provide false or fictitious information to register a SIM will face imprisonment or a fine.
“The law should provide a safe and secure environment in using the mobile technology.”
As connectivity is crucial to the people’s daily activities and in powering the economy’s resurgence, Poe said the law should provide a safe and secure environment for mobile technology.
“We can reap the SIM Registration law’s full potential with an effective implementation, and we must do it together as a nation,” she said.
The SIM Registration Act is the first law signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
It is backed by the majority of Filipinos, according to a recent Social Weather Station (SWS) survey.
