Dear Atty. Joji,

I have been a prepaid subscriber for more than five years and I recently learned that there is a new law which would require prepaid users to register SIM cards or else, it will be cut by the network provider. I am not a techie person and I am afraid I will lose all my contacts and messages if my SIM gets deactivated. What should I do and what are the requirements? How about for postpaid subscribers, do they also have to undergo registration?

Nanette

Dear Nanette,

Subscriber Identity Module Registration Act (Republic Act 11934) is a new law that requires all prepaid users to register their SIMs to strengthen protection from criminal activities like the growing spam and scam messages sent every day.

Sec. 5 provides that the SIM registration process shall be guided by the following parameters:
(a) Submission of duly accomplished control-numbered owner's registration form with full name, date of birth, sex, and address. The registration form shall be accomplished electronically through a platform or website to be provided by the PTEs. The same shall include a declaration by the end-user that the identification documents presented are true and correct and that said person is the one who accomplished the registration form;

(b) Presentation of valid government-issued identification (ID) cards or other similar forms of documents with photo that will verify the identity of the end-user such as, but not limited to the following (1) Passport; (2) Social Security System ID or Government Service Insurance System e-Card; (3) Driver's license; (4) National Bureau of Investigation clearance; (5) Police clearance; (6) Bureau of Internal Revenue ID; (7) Voter's ID; (8) Senior Citizen's card, among other IDs.

Also, in order to regulate the registration and use of SIMs, all end-users shall be required to register their SIMs with their network provider as a pre-requisite to the activation. All existing SIM subscribers shall register within one hundred eighty (180) days from the effectivity of the law. Failure to register the SIM within the periods prescribed shall result in the automatic deactivation of the SIM. The deactivated SIM may only be reactivated after registration.

As for existing postpaid subscribers, their respective network providers will automatically register for them without any manual registration on their part. The postpaid registration is to align with the registration requirement applicable to all SIM users.

Atty. Joji Alonso