NIGHT OWL

The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for Republic Act No. 11934 or the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act has been released. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), through the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), together with other concerned government agencies and Public Telecommunications Entities (PTEs), is getting ready for the rollout of the SIM registration process on Dec. 27, 2022.

Foremost, the SIM registration will be implemented at no cost to the end-users. The PTEs will setup a secure website or platform where users will register their SIM. All existing SIM subscribers, whether postpaid or prepaid, must register with their respective PTEs. This also includes embedded SIMs or eSIMs and other variations that are provisioned by any PTE to provide text messages, calls, and/or data services; as well as SIMs intended for data-only or used for fixed wireless broadband modem and/or wireless local loop, machine-to-machine (M2M) service, and/or Internet of Things (IoT). Failure to register will result in deactivation of the SIM.

All new SIMs to be sold or issued by the PTEs and their authorized agents and resellers will be in a deactivated state until such time that the end-user completes the registration process.

Since registration will be done online, the DICT and NTC, together with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Education (DepEd), and concerned PTEs will establish registration facilities in areas with limited telecommunication or internet access.

Requirements for registration For individual end-users who are Filipino citizens and of legal age, they need to accomplish the registration form with the following data: (1) full name, (2) date of birth, (3) sex, (4) present/official address, (5) type of ID presented, and (6) number of the ID presented, which should be any of the following: Passport; Philippine Identification System ID, or the Philippine Identification Card; Social Security Service (SSS) ID; Government Service Insurance System e-Card; Driver's License; National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 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 (BIR) ID; Voter's ID; Senior Citizen's card; Unified Multi-purpose Identification Card; Persons with Disabilities card; or other valid government-issued ID with photo.

For minors, the registration of a SIM will be under the name of the minor’s parent or guardian, with the consent of the minor’s parent or guardian and government-issued valid ID.

For juridical entity end-users, they need to provide the following information: (1) business name, (2) business address, and (3) full name of authorized signatory; and present the following documents: certificate of registration, and, in case of corporations, duly adopted resolution designating the authorized representative, and in the case of other juridical entities, a special power of attorney.

For foreign national end-users, tourist visa holders will only be issued SIM card with a 30-day validity period, which can be extended only upon submission of approved visa extension. Those with other types of visa can acquire SIMs without the 30-day temporary validity period and register the same. All foreign nationals should provide the following information: (1) full name, (2) nationality, (3) date of birth, (4) passport, (5) address in the Philippines, (6) for persons of concern, the type of travel or admission document presented, and (7) ID number or number of document presented.

In addition, foreign nationals visiting as tourists must present their ticket showing the date and time of departure from the Philippines; and for those with other types of visas should present any of the following documents, whichever is applicable: Alien Employment Permit issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); Alien Certificate of Registration Identification Card (ACRI Card) issued by the Bureau of Immigration or other types of official ID issued by any other visa-issuing agency; school registration and ID for students; or for persons of concern, the type of travel or admission document validly issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The DICT reminds all end-users that it is their responsibility to register their own SIMs with their respective PTEs, and to immediately inform their PTEs of any changes (loss of SIM, deactivation, change of information, death of an end-user).

For their part, the PTEs must ensure that data from the SIM registration are secured and protected at all times.

Acts such as disclosing any data of an end-user, providing false or fictitious information and/or fraudulent documents, spoofing, sale of stolen SIM cards, among others, are punishable under the law.

DICT Secretary Ivan Uy hopes to finish the registration of all existing SIM subscribers within 180 days from the start of registration. Should the need arise, it can be extended up to 120 days. But we want this to be done the soonest possible time so that we can start experiencing the effect and protection of the law. After all, this law, the first to be signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., is part of the President’s vision of harnessing the benefits of technology and ensuring that these will improve, not harm, the lives of the people.