SIM Card Registration Bill: What you need to know

The House of Representatives has passed on the third and final reading the approval of the House Bill 5793 or the “Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act,” which requires end-users to present identification prior to acquiring a SIM card. While yet to be signed into law, it’s good to be familiar with the bill.

On December 6, 2021, the House gave the bill 181 affirmative votes, six negative votes, and no abstention. The bill aims to promote accountability in the use of a SIM card and provide law enforcement agencies the tools to resolve crimes that involve the use of mobile phones with postpaid or prepaid SIM cards.

Requirements

Under the bill, it mandates all direct sellers to register the following information in the SIM card registration form:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Address of the end-user as shown in the valid ID
• Phone number of the SIM card and its serial number

On an important note, only direct sellers who have been duly authorized by the Public Telecommunications Entity (PTE) or telco and the NTC shall be allowed to sell prepaid SIM cards. If not authorized, the telco is mandated to recall all prepaid SIM cards for sale to the public.

Buyers of the SIM card are also required to present the original copy of any of the following valid government IDs with photo:

• Passport
• National ID
• Digitized Social Security Service (SSS) ID
• Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) e-Card
• Driver’s license
• Firearms’ License to Own and Possess (LTOP) ID
• Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) ID
• Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ID
• Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID
• Digitized Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) ID
• Voter’s ID
• Senior Citizen’s card
• Person with Disabilities (PWDs) card
• Other government-issued ID

In the absence of any of the above IDs, buyers can present an NBI clearance, police clearance, or PSA-certified birth certificate with an ID picture taken within the last 6 months. The direct seller may make further inquiries or require additional identification.

For foreign nationals visiting as tourists for not more than 30 days, they need to register their full name, passport number, and address upon presenting the following:
• Passport
• Proof of address in the Philippines
• Return ticket to own country or any other ticket showing the date and time of departure.

For foreign nationals staying for more than 30 days either as workers or students need to present the following:
• Passport
• Full name as indicated in the passport
• Proof of address in the Philippines
• Alien Employment Permit issued by DOLE
• Alien Certificate of Registration Identification Card or ACRI-Card issued by the Bureau of Immigration; or
• School registration and ID for students

The registration form shall be accomplished in triplicate and forwarded by the direct seller to the telco. Information in the SIM card registration shall be treated as absolutely confidential. PTEs, on the other hand, are required to maintain a SIM Card Register of their subscribers.

Lost SIM Card or change in information

In case of a loss of a SIM card or any change in information in the registration form after purchase of the SIM card, the subscriber needs to notify the telco within 48 hours from such loss or change in information.

Existing SIM cards

Existing mobile phone subscribers with prepaid cards are required to register with their respective telcos within 180 days from the day the Act becomes effective. You can request an extension of not more than 120 days upon a valid written request to the DICT.

Failure to register within the prescribed period shall authorize the telco to deactivate the services to the concerned prepaid SIM card subscriber.

Penalties are also set in place for the PTE and direct seller should they fail to comply with the provisions of the bill.

Click here for the full copy of the bill.

6 Comments

Abel Obile Omale says:

2 years ago

Communications sims cards registrations like MTN,GLO,AIRTEL & Others must be twice or once in a year sales to registered customers & customers must wait for the dates & times to register if they damage,lost,robbery & others of their sim cards.Nigeria elections not done well by electoral commissions officials & chairmen because political parties candidates was rejected not to contested of screening of forgeries names certificates & elections not to be conducted in 240 cancelled polling units including some areas in otukpo Benue,Nigeria like ojira,some state areas & others because cultists to terrorisms as political thugs killers set up polling units,small land marks & populations, not educated.BIVAS only accepted by Auto digital controls economys but rejected ballot papers used to rigged in elections.Stop calculating ballot papers with BIVAS total votes because not work out for Auto digital economys of countries.
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Abel Obile Omale says:

2 years ago

Dropped waivers
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Avegail says:

2 years ago

How can we register our sims? I hope they do it easier to all. Like every Telco companies put the registration in their customer service number if it’s posible? But allowed only one number each every Telco in cp. Allowed two sim card numbers but in different Telco.???
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Dom says:

3 years ago

But if they deal with clients, the clients can now ask for their number before transacting since the identity is now linked with the SIM number. This is better than nothing. Your use case only benefits sketchy things that don’t involve external clientele.
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Ryan says:

3 years ago

So in reality,just drives criminal communications underground by using internet phone software and free wi-fi. Real criminals don’t use the mobile network.
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Dom says:

3 years ago

But if they deal with clients, the clients can now ask for their number before transacting since the identity is now linked with the SIM number. This is better than nothing. Your use case only benefits sketchy things that don’t involve external clientele.