There are now over 80 million Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards registered across the country, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) disclosed on Sunday, April 23.
SIM cards (Pixabay)
NTC on Sunday said 80,372,656 individuals have so far registered their SIMs as of April 22, but this is only 47.84 percent of the existing 168,016,400 cards nationwide.
Based on NTC’s latest SIM registration update, Smart Communications Inc. still has the highest number of registrants at 38,855,942. It was followed by Globe Telecom Inc. with 35,826,329 and Dito Telecommunity with 5,690,385 registered cards so far.
Earlier, peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), along with other progressive organizations in the country, urged the national government to extend the SIM registration period. The group explained that by prolonging the measure, ample time will be given to properly “roll out” the process of the petition filed in the Supreme Court against the SIM registration.
“Tiyak na milyun-milyon pang mga magsasaka, mangingisda at mamamayan sa kanayunan ang hindi nagrehistro ng kanilang SIM at ang banta ng deactivation at kawalan ng akses nila sa kanilang SIM ay direktang atake sa kanilang karapatan sa pagpapahayag, impormasyon at komunikasyon (Certainly, millions of farmers, fishermen and rural people have not registered their SIMs and the threat of deactivation and their lack of access to their SIM is a direct attack on their right to expression, information, and communication)," said KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos.
NTC Deputy Commissioner Jon Paulo Salvahan said they have yet to “officially receive” a copy of the petition that was allegedly filed in the Supreme Court. This, according to Salvahan, is the reason why they “cannot comment” on this matter yet.
Pursuant to Republic Act No. 11934, also known as the SIM Registration Act, the mandatory registration will end on April 26. No extension will be made “at this point” according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).