THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Wednesday said that they are not yet keen on extending the subscriber identification module (SIM) card registration, despite the appeal of telecommunication companies to go beyond the April 26 deadline.
In a statement, the DICT said that they had “received and acknowledged” the request of Public Telecommunication Entities (PTEs) to extend the SIM registration period pursuant to Republic Act 11934 or the SIM Registration Act.
Earlier, Globe Telecoms, Smart Communications and Dito Telecommunity were in unison in asking for an extension of the SIM card registration.
They said that the number of supposed to register had not even reached the half of the total active numbers.
National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) Deputy Commissioner Jon Paulo Salvahan said that said that as of their data, they are now at 43.4% or 73,033,000 out of the 168,977,773 million total subscribers nationwide have registered.
But despite the deadline closing in and the number barely reaching half, the DICT said they April 26 date shall remain.
“However, at this point, there is no extension of SIM registration. With the 26 April 2023 registration deadline drawing near, we encourage everyone to register to promote the responsible use of SIMs and provide law enforcement agencies the necessary tools to crack down on perpetrators who use SIMs for their crimes, consistent with the declared policy of the law,” the DICT said.
Failure to register will deactivate the sim card after the deadline.
“The DICT reminds the public that non-registration will result in the deactivation of their SIMs and eSIMs, barring them from receiving and sending calls and text messages and accessing mobile applications and digital wallets,” they said.
The DICT reiterated that the SIM Registration Act places primacy on the fundamental rights of Filipinos and is replete with safeguards to ensure the confidentiality and security of user data.
“The DICT is one with PTEs in ensuring that Filipinos can enjoy safe and secure mobile phone services through the holistic implementation of the SIM Registration Act,” they added.
Catherine R. Cueto
