TELECOMS TOLD TO PUT UP ASSISTANCE BOOTHS FOR SIM CARD REGISTRATION

January 14, 2023 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY

Council, through a resolution, has requested the telecommunications companies (TELECOMS) to
put up assistance booths at People’s Park and other feasible places in the city to assist their
subscribers in the registration of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards. Councilor Betty Lourdes
Tabanda, main author of the resolution, said providing assistance to the people in registering their SIM cards is one way of enabling the public to comply with the law.

Republic Act No. 11934 also known as the Subscriber Identity Module Registration Act was signed into law on October 10, 2022. The law was enacted to end unwanted text and phone-based scams that are arbitrarily sent to subscribers, promoting accountability on the use of the SIM cards. Under the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the law issued by the National Telecommunicatons
Commission (NTC) on December 12, 2022, public telecommunications entities are mandated to establish their own secure and user-friendly platform for the benefit of registering subscribers or end-users.

They are also required to provide additional means to assist persons with disabilities, senior citizens, pregnant women, and/or persons with special needs in registering their SIMs. The online registration of existing SIMs officially commenced on December 27, 2022. Tabanda said the SIM card online registration proved to be a challenge to subscribers who lack the technical know-how or
whose internet connection is intermittent or weak, thus the need for the provision of assistance by the telcos.

SP/Jordan G. Habbiling