Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday called on the country’s telecommunications companies to raise the bar in their campaign to get mobile phone subscribers register their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) in compliance with the law.
“Telcos must ramp up their drive to encourage subscribers to register,“ Poe, author and sponsor of the SIM Registration Act, said.
“No amount of days will be enough if most of the over 100 million phone users will sign up at the last minute,” she added.
As of Jan. 9, 2023, over 16 million SIM cards or around 9 percent of the 168 million mobile subscribers have registered with the country’s three telcos.
Republic Act No. 11934 requires phone users to register their mobile numbers as a way of curbing phishing attempts, scams and other cybercrime attacks propagated through calls and text messages.
Under the law, all mobile device users are required to register their SIM on the telcos’ authorized platforms until April 26.
The registration period could be given an extension of 120 days by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) after the April 26 deadline. Unregistered SIM cards would be deactivated.
“There’s a learning curve and some growing pains, but many of our countrymen are actually anticipating that they will register soon,” Poe said.
“I am just worried that everybody will try to do it at the very last minute, which will bring challenges in handling the traffic of registrants,” she added.
Poe also warned against the proliferation of fake or unauthorized sites that could dupe subscribers into sharing their personal information.
She stressed registration is also free amid reports of some individuals offering assistance to sign up for a fee.
“We are asking the telcos to keep sending messages or embark on an advertising campaign to continuously remind subscribers of the link to their official website or other channels of registration,” Poe said.
Poe noted that the law and its implementing rules and regulations also task the telcos to work with local government units in reaching out to constituents, including those in far-flung barangays, on physically registering their SIM.
She said every initiative should be taken to make SIM registration accessible and easy for the people such as those with limited telecommunication and internet services, and those with physical constraints like persons with disabilities and senior citizens.
“There may be challenges along the way, but there’s no harm in aiming for a 100-percent registration,” Poe said. Macon Ramos-Araneta
