Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the SIM Card Registration Act has been released by the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) and is expected to take full effect on December 27, 2022.
According to the IRR, all existing SIM subscribers are given 180 days from the effectiveness of the act to register their SIM cards.
Subscribers who will fail to comply with the rules will have their SIM cards deactivated.
Automatically deactivated SIMs may be reactivated provided that registration will be made not later than five days of automatic deactivation.
Requirements
As a requirement upon registration, subscribers are expected to submit any valid government-issued ID with their photo. Registrants are also required to submit their information such as their full name, date of birth, sex, official address and ID number of the type of ID presented.
For minors, registrants must provide their government issued ID along with consent of their parent or guardian to register their SIM.
Meanwhile, foreign nationals who will register their SIM cards are required to present their passport and address in the Philippines.
Moreover, businesses are required to provide their business name, address and the full name of the authorized signatory.
Registration will be accomplished virtually through platforms provided by the SIM provider.
Penalties
Subscribers who provide false information or fake identities may result in imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to PhP 300,000.
On the other hand, selling or transfer of a registered SIM is prohibited and may be penalized with imprisonment ranging from six months to six years and or a fine of PhP 100,000 to PhP 300,000.
The same penalty also applies to sellers of stolen SIM cards.
The law also requires that all SIM cards including eSIMs, IoT devices, wireless broadband modems and other devices to be registered.