To further help Filipinos register their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards, especially those living in areas with weak internet connection, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), together with other government agencies, bared its plan to establish SIM registration sites.
“We are working on the process of SIM registration for Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA). We are working with public telecommunication entities (PTEs) and other government agencies, such as Department of Education and Department of Interior and Local Government to facilitate the registration and fast track the process in areas with limited telecommunication or internet access,” said DICT Spokesperson and Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo in a press briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
The DICT official, however, did not disclose when these strategically-placed facilities will be established. Under the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of the SIM Registration Act, the department has “60 days, upon the release of the IRR, to compel the telcos” to establish or rollout these sites.
“We are just following the timeline provided for by the law,” said Lamentillo, assuring the public that the mobilization of this measure is one of DICT’s priorities.
In the same briefing, DILG Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez reiterated that the national government has already identified these GIDA sites, but at the moment, they could still not provide specific dates when the rollout would be conducted.
“We need to plan our efforts. It needs to be well-coordinated and well-planned, that’s why it is important that we have commitment to coordinate closely with the telcos, especially since there are areas with many Smart while Globe has less,” said Gutierrez in Filipino.
“ things should be taken into consideration and at the same time, we don’t want to waste government funds,” she added.
As of Monday, Jan. 9, at least 9.56 percent or 16,150,926 of the nearly 170 million subscribers in the Philippines have so far registered their SIMs.