Pilot assisted Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card registration in remote areas will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 25, said the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

This initiative, in partnership with public telecommunication entities and other government agencies, was launched to help Filipinos living in remote areas and those with weak to no internet connection comply with the mandatory SIM card registration.

“ is intended to ensure that the implementation of the law is inclusive and that we finish the SIM registration on time,” said DICT Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo in a statement. National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Officer-in-Charge- Commissioner Ella Blanca Lopez, on the other hand, said this is to “maximize SIM subscriber participation.”

Areas identified for the pilot assisted SIM registration on Wednesday, Jan. 25, are the following: Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte (Municipal Auditorium of Pasuquin); Moalboal, Cebu (Municipal Hall of Moalboal); Palo, Leyte (Municipal Gym of Palo); Pangantucan, Bukidnon (Municipal Gym of Pangantucan); and Malalag, Davao del Sur (Covered Court of Malalag).

The initiative will also be simultaneously conducted in the following remote areas on Thursday, Jan. 26: Atok, Benguet (Basketball Court in Atok); Camalaniugan, Cagayan (Camalaniugan Sports Complex in Brgy. Dacal, Lafugu, Maharlika Hi-Way); Calumpit, Bulacan (Municipal Covered Court of Calumpit); Rosario, Batangas (Luancing Covered Court); City of Zamboanga, Zamboanga del Sur (Multi-purpose covered court in Brgy. Arena Blanco).

Meanwhile, on Friday, Jan. 27 – the third day of the pilot implementation, assisted SIM registration will be mounted in Baco, Oriental Mindoro (Covered court in Brgy. Sta Rosa 1); City of Ligao, Albay (Multi-purpose covered court in Brgy. Paulba, Ligao); Carles, Iloilo (Covered Gym of Carles in front of Municipal Hall); Arakan, Cotabato (Emergency Operations Center in Evacuation Center Bldg., Municipal Hall Compound, Poblacion); and Tagbina, Surigao del Sur (Municipal Gym of Tagbina).

Assisted SIM registration: Things to bring

Things to bring when availing the assisted SIM card registration are the following: mobile phone with the SIM to be registered as well as one valid government identification card.

Valid IDs accepted for the mandatory registration include Philippine Passport, National ID, SSS ID, Voter’s ID, OWWA ID, UMID ID, Driver’s License, Police Clearance, GSIS e-Card, PWD ID, Senior Citizen’s Card and other government-issued IDs with photo.

Apart from registration booths, the public may also expect a National Bureau of Investigation NBI) one-stop-shop in the areas where assisted SIM registration will be mounted. This, according to DICT, will be established by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to help citizens who do not have valid IDs secure an NBI clearance on-site and use it for the registration.