The House Committee on Information and Communications Technology on Wednesday, March 15, approved the recommendations of the technical working group (TWG) for the unnumbered substitute bill that would protect consumers from unwanted calls and texts from individuals, companies, and entities meant to sell products and services. The House panel, chaired by Navotas Lone District Rep. Tobias Tiangco, held a meeting for the consideration and approval of the draft substitute bill — An Act Establishing the “No Call, No Text, Registration System,” Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof — that consolidated House Bills (HBs) 270, 2209, 2612, 4251, 4380, 4555 and 5094. “Consumers’ frustration and maybe considered a nuance is the unsolicitated call or text message. Consumers likewise intend to suffer from constant interruption and invasion of privacy while we all agree that it is also important to promote the interest of the private or business sector by allowing it to freely transact and endorse its goods and services,” AGIMAT Party-list Rep. Bryan Revilla, head of the TWG, said during the meeting. “Substitute bill proposes to establish a system of no call or no text registry that shall protect cellular phone subscribers from unwanted calls and text messages that is distrubing and distracting the activities of any inviduals thereby promoting more responsible and accountable business practices of marketing and sales agents,” he added. The Cavite lawmaker stressed that the government may interfere “to protect the consumers from trade malpractices and from substandard or hazardous products and more from invading once privacy.” As chair of the TWG, he shared “major revisions” to the bill, among which is for the National Privacy Commission (NPC) remove “all references” to emails and email registration. Instead, the proposed measure must be limited to calls and texts because of the difficulty in implementing the monitoring of emails. Lawyer Erlaine Lumanog, a policy adviser of NPC, the bill’s implementing agency, emphasized the need for consumers to be given an “option readily available” to stop unwanted calls and text messages “in order to uphold our right and freedom to choose our transactions.” However, she recognized the need to allow such calls and text messages if there was consent between companies or entities or individuals and the subscribers. “For example, if the subscriber wants to get messages or promotional messages from a certain brand or company, if they have a written consent . . . then it is still allowed,” Lumanog said. Tiangco agreed that the proposed measure is consistent with the SIM Registration Act that requires mobile phone subscribers to register to their respective providers. He shared that when the law was passed, lawmakers already said that it was “not foolproof” without the no call, no text registry “because it only protects you from illegal messages but it doesnt protect you from legitimate messages which most of us don’t want to receive.” As the implementing agency, the NPC will hold the registry. “So, once you’re registered there, you should not be sent promotional messages unless you opt in for specific company,” Tiangco said. Under Section 6 of the draft substitute bill,” A subscriber may manage and limit the inbound and unsolicited call and text that maybe received by registering a telephone number in the No Call and No Text Registers upon presentation of a government identification and proof of exclusive ownership over a particular telephone number.” Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Paul Daza asked NPC if it had a system to do what the bill proposes. Lumanog responded that the commission would need P50 million to create an “efficient system.”