While government is mulling the possibility of extending the subscriber identification module (SIM) registration, PLDT’s wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) said they will support such moves while continuing their aggressive drive to help millions of Smart and TNT customers register.
The company said in their statement that they will beef up efforts in registration in the remote areas of the country, amid news of a possible extension of the April 26, 2023 deadline.
“We are here to continuously support the government in its SIM Registration initiative. While we have led in the number of registrations to date, Smart and TNT welcome the proposed extension period for SIM registration by the DICT to give more time to all, especially the marginalized sectors and those located in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas,” according to Atty. Roy Ibay, Vice President and head of Regulatory Affairs at Smart.
Smart has been deploying assisted SIM Registration booths in far-flung municipalities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, in close collaboration with organizer National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the inter-agency committee on remote areas registration, and other public telecommunications entities.
Smart has set up hundreds of these assisted SIM Registration booths across the country, to offer information and guidance on how to register Smart or TNT SIMs using acceptable ID cards, as well as provide physical assistance to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and those using non-data phones.
According to Republic Act (RA) 11934 or the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act, all SIM users have until April 26, 2023 to register their SIMs under their name, or risk deactivation of their SIM. The SIM Registration Act regulates the use of SIM cards to help curb the proliferation of text scams and other mobile phone-aided criminal activities.
“While it’s certainly not a silver bullet, we at PLDT and Smart believe that SIM Registration adds a layer of protection for our customers from mobile phone-aided criminal activities, including scams and predators. This is why we support the government’s efforts to enable all mobile users to comply with the SIM Registration Law,” Cathy Yang, First Vice President and head of Group Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.
New and existing Smart Prepaid and TNT subscribers may also visit PLDT and Smart stores and access Smart’s SIM registration portal through https://www.smart.com.ph/simreg while Postpaid customers can simply text YES to 5858 to confirm their registration.
Catherine R. Cueto
