Romualdez calls for simpler SIM registration process

MANILA, Philippines–Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez has called on the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and the three telecommunications companies to simplify the process of registering subscriber identity modules (SIMs).

“Let us help millions of Filipinos who have mobile phones, but who still have not registered their SIMs as required by law, to register. Let us make it easier for them to take advantage of the 90-day registration extension granted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Romualdez said in a statement on Friday.

“In particular, let us assist overseas Filipino workers and their families to register. Their mobile phones are their principal means of communicating and connecting to each other. The thought that they could instantly make audio-video calls eases the pain of being thousands of miles away from home and from their loved ones,” he added.

The House leader acknowledged that telcos have been offering registration assistance and mechanisms for their postpaid and prepaid SIM users to list up.

However, he asked them to “go the extra mile in seeking out people who have bought and used their SIMs and help them to register so they would be able to continue using their cellular phone service. That is to the benefit of the telcos, financially.”

As of April 23, three days before the original April 26 registration deadline was extended, “some 82.8 million SIM owners have registered,” according to reports. “Of the 82.8 million registrants, 39.9 million signed up with Smart Communications, 37.09 million with Globe Telecom, and 5.79 million with DITO Telecommunity Corp,” the Speaker said.

“Their combined data should give us, the public, an idea of how many SIMs, postpaid and prepaid, need to be registered,” Romualdez added. “I suspect that OFW families in the provinces are finding it difficult to comply with the registration requirement. Some may even be unaware of it.”

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