The registration of Subscriber Identity Module or SIM cards as prescribed under Republic Act No. 11934 has commenced, and the different public telecommunications entities (PTEs) have launched their respective online platforms where their subscribers must register in order for their SIMs to remain active.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), through the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), is ensuring the proper implementation of the law.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) expressed its full support, especially since the implementation of this law will address one of the common challenges in the investigation and prosecution of cybercrime and cyber-related cases.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is also providing the needed support to ensure the immediate completion of the registration process, including helping establish registration facilities in areas with limited telecommunication or internet access.
During the first two weeks of the SIM registration process, there could be some difficulties and minor errors as the telcos fine tune the implementation process. We urge those who experience difficulties, glitches, or technical issues to immediately report to the telcos or relevant government agencies so that these can be addressed accordingly.
In fact, we are creating a Complaint Center for the SIM Registration. This will be under the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), an attached agency of the DICT. Concerns related to the SIM registration can be directed to them through hotline 1326.
We hope that through this complaint center, we can immediately address the concerns of SIM subscribers and we will know what to improve on to make the SIM registration more efficient. We also anticipate that unscrupulous individuals will continue to attempt to victimize the public as long as they can, and such acts can also be reported to the complaint center.
The SIM Registration Law aims to put an end to fraudulent acts perpetrated through phone calls and text messages. But we must all continue to be vigilant. That is why, we remind everyone to be mindful of fake websites, phishing, and other scams that may take advantage of people trying to register their SIMs. Always double check the source of the information before following instructions especially if it comes through email or text messages.
When registering your SIM, visit only the official website of your PTE. If you are unsure, contact the hotline of your telco, or the complaint center for the SIM registration.
We enjoin the public to register their SIMs as early as possible, and we also encourage to report to hotline 1326 if they find anything suspicious related to the SIM registration.
We hope to get this done as soon as possible, within 180 days. We know this is possible, even with about 160 million SIM cards that need to be registered, if we will all cooperate.
But even after we have accomplished the registration of SIM cards, this does not mean that we can already be complacent. Even with the protection of the law, we urge the public to continue to be vigilant against fraudulent phone calls, text messages, and even emails. We should never let our guard down.
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