Davao Oriental 2nd district Rep. Cheeno Almario (Facebook)



A vice chairman of the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology has joined the calls for the extension of the SIM card registration period in light of the low registry turnout. Davao Oriental 2nd district Rep. Cheeno Almario specifically asked the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to invoke Section 4 of Republic Act (RA) No. 11934, which authorizes the agency to extend the SIM card registration for an additional 120 days after the April 26 deadline. This will effectively give SIM card users until August 24, 2023, to register. SIM stands for subscriber identity module. Other House members like Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte had earlier appealed to authorities to defer the April 26 deadline. RA No.11934, also known as the SIM Registration Act, was co-authored by Almario, a neophyte solon in the 19th Congress. Almario recalled that he and his fellow lawmakers foresaw the possibility of a low registry turnout, particularly for those living in far-flung areas. That's why they specifically put the 120-day extension provision in the law. With the April 26 deadline fast approaching and given the low 36.79 percent SIM registry turnout declared by DICT, Almario says the agency must now set the final and non-extendable deadline. He said this will prod stakeholders to properly assess, plan, and come up with more effective strategies to improve SIM registration in the next four months. "Let us be reminded that RA No. 11934 aims to provide safer online space for the Filipino people. Ensuring that a wider expanse of SIM card users is aware of the benefits of this law will fast-track its successful implementation, curb wireless technology-aided criminal activities, and, ultimately, promote public safety," he said. The Davao Oriental congressman pointed out that after the 120-day extension, all unregistered SIM cards will automatically be deactivated. This will compel users of the unregistered SIM card to either buy new cards or to have their cards re-activated--a more difficult process for ordinary working Filipinos. Almario urged public telecommunications entities or PTEs to intensify the information campaign among their existing subscribers. He said PTEs are responsible for ensuring that facilities are established in remote areas with limited telecommunication or Internet access to comply with the SIM Registration Law.