QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) rallies the public to register their SIM cards now because failure to do so will result in their deactivation. Meanwhile, all prepaid SIMs in the market are in a deactivated state and will only be activated upon completion of the registration process.

To date, a total of 20,551,294 or 12.16 percent of the 168,977,773 active mobile subscribers in the country have been registered since the start of the SIM Card Registration Law implementation on Dec. 27, 2022.

Registration Process

While there were birth pains experienced during the start of the implementation, DICT Spokesperson Undersecretary Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo assures the public that the process of registration has already improved. They have already tapped concerned Public Telecommunication Entities (PTEs) to increase the capacity of their websites and to continuously improve the registration process.

Moreover, an Inter-Agency Ad Hoc Committee composed of the DICT, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Education (DepEd), Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), other government agencies and PTEs was organized to facilitate the registration for those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).

The DOJ will also set up a one-stop-shop in remote areas so the public can secure NBI clearances which they can use as valid government-issued identification during registration.

Data Privacy and Security

The DICT assures the public that there will be no data privacy breaches and that all data is “secured, encrypted, and protected at all times.”

“[S]IM Registration Law is being implemented in conjunction with the Data Privacy Act. The PTEs are responsible for ensuring that data from the SIM registration are secured, encrypted, and protected at all times. Breach of confidentiality and breach of confidentiality due to negligence is punishable under the law,” DICT Spokesperson Undersecretary Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo said.

Usec. Lamentillo further underscores the importance of this process in order to deter cybercrimes and “prevent those who want to perpetrate crimes from taking advantage of the anonymity of SIMs.”

“The aim of the SIM Registration Law is to protect us. It is also an important tool to make cyberspace safer. It is a step forward to securing digital transactions, allowing more citizens to be part of e-commerce, and providing safer and more efficient access to e-government services,” Usec Lamentillo said.

There may be a process that we all need to follow but this is nothing compared to the fruit of security and the protection the public can enjoy in the near future. And so, we call on our fellow Filipinos to register their SIMs now.

If there are complaints or need assistance with the sim card registration process, please call DICT Complaint Center Hotline 1326 under the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC). (KSAA – PIA CPSD)