The latest development on the ongoing compliance with Republic Act No 11934 or the SIM Card Registration Act has created a headstrong move from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) or Kagawaran ng Teknolohiyang Pang-Impormasyon at Komunikasyon) — which is to have the SIM cards registered at 1 million on a daily basis.
DICT is also the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the planning, development and promotion of the country’s information and communications.
Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo announced this target in a press briefing Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. She added that the government is currently “on track” in being able to hit the said 1 million registrants per day.
However, this won’t strictly be a tight goal but instead that there will be some days where there will be a “lull” in the registration — further adding strength to her point that there will also be days when the number of registrants will likely surge, especially when the deadline to do so nears the date.
DICT also pointed out that according to the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) data, data they have gathered reflected that the SIM registration has at its latest tally showing 16 million as of Monday, the 9th of January 2023. DICT set its target alongside this report even though the 16 million counted is still only 9.56% of the nearly 170 million subscribers in the Philippines.
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Further details on the registration deadline
Further, into the press briefing, as the details were discussed in greater detail, Lamentillo also revealed that the DICT is not at all ruling out the possibility of an extension — despite the ideal goals set by the team as achievable within the currently provided period of registration.
Lamentillo digressed, “We are always willing to extend our implementation period, [but] we are [going to do] our best first. The update is a little bit low because problems occurred during the first few days of the implementation,” she clarified.
Earlier in the current year, the DICT folks also called out to the public and encouraged them to register their SIM cards at the soonest possible time. This will greatly benefit each SIM card owner wherein mandatory registration will serve as the public’s protection against fraudulent scams through texts, calls, and even mobile applications.
It’s good to see that the majority of the government’s teams and departments are ceaselessly working towards achieving goals for everyone to comply with Republic Act No 11934 or the SIM Card Registration Act. After all, it’s another layer of protection against fraudulent and questionable entities that are gung-ho to find a way through the system. Do you also share the same sentiments? We always look forward to seeing your insights, feedback, suggestions and reaction. Leave a comment below.
