Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (Facebook)

Filipinos shouldn't be complacent with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s extension of the SIM registration period for another 90 days.

Thus, said House Committee on Appropriations Chairman and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, who welcomed the move of the President.

"I requested and suggested only 60 days extension but the President did better by pushing the deadline back by 90 days," Co said in a statement Wednesday, April 26, which was the original deadline for SIM registration under Republic Act (RA) No.11934 or the SIM Registration Act.

"The 90 days leeway should not mean another excuse for SIM subscribers to wait until the last few days of the extension before they register. SIM subscribers must realize that their SIM phone numbers are means of identification and access to essential services as the country becomes more digital," Co said.

"Here at the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, one of our key concerns is 'disenfranchisement' of the poor and marginalized who have difficulty with SIM registration. We do not want them to be shut out of telco service because of their inherent problems stemming from being poor and marginalized," the Bicolano pointed out.

SIM stands for subscriber identity module. SIM cards are used to avail of network services on electronic devices such as mobile phones.

The SIM Registration Act originally set the enlistment window between Dec. 27, 2022 and April 26, 2023. The law provides for an extension of up to 120 days.

"Assistance must be given, especially to senior citizens who are unfamiliar with technical matters, persons with disability and persons with special needs who have inherent handicaps making them unable to follow online instructions, and solo parents and working parents who are hard-pressed to set aside hours to fall in line at service desks and kiosks," Co said.

He further noted that the extension gives the telcos (telecommunications companies) more time to work with the government agencies that have verifiable databases backing the IDs and identification documents they have issued.

The lack of IDs of some Filipinos has been cited as one of the reason for the low turnout so far in connection with the SIM registration.