No extension of SIM card registration – DICT

MANILA, Philippines — There will be no extension of the April 26 SIM registration deadline, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said yesterday.

The DICT said it has received the appeal of three telcos – Smart Communications, Globe Telecom and DITO Telecommunity – to extend the subscriber identity module (SIM) registration period as provided under Republic Act 11934 or the SIM Registration Act.

“However, at this point, there is no extension of SIM registration,” the DICT said in a statement.

Under the SIM Registration Law, the deadline could be extended to up to 120 days.

With the deadline drawing near, the DICT encouraged the public to register their SIMs to provide law enforcement agencies the necessary tools to crack down on perpetrators who use SIMs for their crimes.

The DICT said the measure is part of the government’s effort to improve national security and curb fraudulent activities such as SMS-related scams and identity theft.

The DICT reminded the public that non-registration would result in the deactivation of SIMs, barring them from receiving and sending calls and text messages as well as accessing mobile applications and digital wallets.

The agency reiterated that the SIM Registration Act places “primacy on the fundamental rights of Filipinos and is replete with safeguards to ensure the confidentiality and security of user data.”

“The DICT is one with telcos in ensuring that Filipinos enjoy safe and secure mobile phone services through the holistic implementation of the SIM Registration Law,” the department said.