The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has announced a 90-day extension of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) registration period.

During the extended registration period, DICT said that unregistered SIMs will be reviewed for the phased implementation of one or a combination of the following measures: barring access to value-added services, disallowing outgoing calls, and extending the reactivation period for deactivated SIMs.

These measures will be implemented pursuant to applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and will be subject to an amendment to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 11934 or the SIM Registration Act.

The agency said that technical capacity and capability of the country’s three public telecommunication entities (PTEs)–Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, and DITO Telecommunity–to execute the proposed measures will also be considered.

The DICT urged the PTEs to recalibrate their strategies to increase the number of registrants and will assist PTEs and government counterparts in addressing concerns on the identification requirement for SIM registration.

The department and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will also intensify the rollout of programs to help those in the marginalized sectors and those who live in unserved and underserved areas of the country to register their SIMs.

The public is advised to follow DICT’s social media channels and website for official announcements on the implementation of the SIM Registration Act.

The department urged Filipinos to take advantage of the extended SIM registration period to promote accountability and responsibility in using SIMs and sound the death knell for cybercrimes and text scams committed by unscrupulous perpetrators.

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