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.
What if my SIM gets lost or stolen?
Users must submit the following to their telco company:
- Name
- Address
- Birthday
- Mobile number
- Other relevant and reasonable information to fully establish ownership of the SIM
According to the IRR, any change in the information provided during registration must be reported to the telco company immediately. If the user dies, immediate family or relatives must report it immediately.
Will my personal information be safe?
The IRR states that any information and data obtained during the registration process must be kept strictly confidential and not disclosed to anyone.
However, a telco company may reveal an end-full user’s name and address in the following circumstances:
- In compliance with any law obligating the disclosure of information in accordance with the Data Privacy Act
- In compliance with a court order or legal process upon a finding of probable cause
- With the written consent of the subscriber
Telco companies must keep relevant data and information for ten years after deactivation.
What happens to offenders?
False or fictitious information, fictitious identities, or fraudulent identification documents used to register a SIM will result in a maximum two-year prison sentence and/or a fine of P300,000.
Without adhering to the necessary registration, those who sell or transfer a registered SIM face a six-month to a six-year prison sentence as well as a fine of $100,000 to $300,000.
A minimum of six years in prison and/or a fine of P200,000 will be imposed on those who intentionally defraud, harm, or obtain anything of value by spoofing a registered SIM by transmitting false or inaccurate information about the source of a phone call or text message.
If a telco company fails to register SIM cards without a good reason, they will be fined P100,000 to P300,000 for the first offense, P300,000 to P500,000 for the second offense, and P500,000 to P1 million for the third or subsequent offense (third offense onwards).
Sellers of stolen SIM cards from telecommunications companies, resellers, or other organizations risk up to two years in prison and/or a P300,000 fine.
Unauthorized disclosure of personal information is also punishable by a P400,000 minimum and P4,000,000 maximum fine, regardless of whether it occurs domestically or abroad.
Source: Philstarlife
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