Following the release of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the SIM Card Registration Act by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Filipinos must register their new and existing SIM cards as of December 27 in order to prevent deactivation.
What is the SIM Registration Act?
The SIM Registration Act requires the registration of all SIMs, including those in card and electronic form, as a prerequisite to activation. Under the measure, users of all mobile devices, including prepaid broadband devices, must register their SIMs.
The law was passed as a key measure against the prevalence of SIM-aided criminal activity, including smishing and other mobile phone and online fraud which proliferated due to the anonymity that prepaid SIMs afforded its users. Under the law, all SIMs sold by public telecommunications entities (PTEs) and authorized distributors or resellers “shall be in a deactivated state.” These will only be activated once end-users register their SIM in established registration platforms.
Do I need to register right away on December 27?
After the law becomes effective, subscribers will have 180 days, or until June 25, 2023, to register. Registration may be kept active for a maximum of 120 days, or until October 23, 2023.
The standard SIMs for short message services, voice, and data, embedded SIMS, or eSIMs, and SIMs used for data-only or fixed wireless broadband are among the SIMs that need to be registered.
All new SIMs are in a “deactivated state” as of December 27, according to the IRR, and users must register.
Even though postpaid customers have already given telco companies their personal information, they still need to verify it.
Where do I go to register my SIM card?
Public telecommunications entities, or telcos, are required to provide user-friendly yet secure websites and other online registration platforms.
The forms will include a declaration stating that the person presented true and correct documents and that the person is the one completing the form.
The NTC, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Education will work with telco companies to register remote areas with limited internet connectivity.
- DITO subscribers: dito.ph/RegisterDITO
- Globe/TM/Gomo subscribers: new.globe.com.ph/simreg
- Smart/TNT/Sun subscribers: smart.com.ph/simreg
What information and documents do I need to provide?
You must submit the following:
- Full name
- Birthday
- Sex
- Present or official address
- Identification card
- ID number
You may present the following IDs:
- Passport
- Philippine Identification System ID
- Social Security Service ID
- Government Service Insurance System ID
- Driver’s license
- National Bureau of Investigation clearance
- Police clearance
- Firearms’ license to own and possess ID
- Professional Regulation Commission ID
- Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID
- Overseas Workers Welfare Administration ID
- Bureau of Internal Revenue ID
- Voter’s ID
- Senior citizen’s card
- Unified Multi-purpose ID
- Persons with Disabilities card
- Other valid government-issued ID with a photo
Minors must register in the name of their parent or guardian, who must present any of the above-mentioned forms of identification as well as a consent form.
Meanwhile, businesses and organizations must provide the following:
- Business name
- Business address
- Full name of authorized signatory
Foreign nationals visiting as tourists may use their registered SIM card for 30 days before it is automatically deactivated. They must provide the following:
- Passport
- Proof of address in the Philippines, including hotel booking or affidavit/letter from the owner of the residence
- Return ticket to own country
Those with other types of visas, on the other hand, will not be automatically deactivated and can register as usual. They provide supply the following:
- Passport
- Proof of address in the Philippines, including hotel booking or affidavit/letter from the owner of the residence
- Other pertinent documents, like:
- Alien employment permit
- Alien certificate or registration
- School registration and ID for students
- Department of Justice-approved admission document for persons of concern
What if I don’t register my SIM card?
It will result in the SIM being deactivated automatically. After that, reactivation is only possible if registration is completed within five days.
“Pagbili po nila (ng SIM), pwede nila iparehistro. Iyong existing, pwede nila,” NTC consultant Edgardo Cabarios told ANC on Tuesday, December 13.
Cabarios stated that telco companies will notify subscribers about the need to register their SIM cards.
Do you wish to learn more about sim card registration? Click the button provided below for further information.
Source: Philippine Go
