Philippines: Fake site alert up, servers down as mandatory SIM registration kicks off

SIM Card registration — Mandatory SIM card registration started in the Philippines on December 27, 2022. A new law gives users 6 months to register their SIM online — or face deactivation Image Credit: File

                    
                        Highlights
                    
                    Rush to register SIM cards among mobile users in the Philippines reported
Scam alert: Users cautioned against giving personal data to fake SIM registration sites

Manila: A rush to register SIM cards among mobile users in the Philippines was reported on Tuesday (December 27, 2022), amid officials warning against fake website as mandatory online registration kicked off.

Given the spike in network service demand driven by the rush on Day 1 itself, and limited step-by-step information from telcos, server downtimes had been reported.

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Complaints Hotline for SIM card registration under Department of Communication and Information Technology (DICT).

The industry regulator, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), has stated the telcos (PLDT/Smart, Globe and Dito) will provide their own information information campaigns for SIM card registration.

A number of users trying to register on Tuesday have reported glitches, including server downtime or "bad gateway" alert.

The Department of Information and Information Technology (DICT), meanwhile, said they hope end-users would register within the 180-day period.

By law, all phone users, including children, foreigners and pre-paid account holders — must register their SIM, a move that is hoped to curb mobile phone fraud that's rampant in the country.

Fake site alert

Amid the rush and a dearth of information drive to guide users — officials have also cautioned users to avoid clicking links that may lead to fake sites harvesting personal and SIM information with malign intent.

By law, those who fail to register the phone SIM card — could face deactivation — following a “grace period.”

In 2020, out of a population of more than 100 million, about 79 million people had smartphones in the country, a number seen rising to 91.5 million by 2025, Statista estimates show.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11934

Section 4 of R.A. No. 11934 (An Act requiring the registration of Subscriber Identity Module) provides for a system mandating SIM card registration as a prerequisite for activation.

By law, unregistered SIM cards sold by Public Telecommunications Entities ("PTEs") or resellers must be disabled after the 180-day grace period.

All existing SIM subscribers must register their SIMs with their respective PTEs within one hundred eighty (180) days of the law's effective date. Failure to register the current SIM results in its deactivation, which can only be reactivated following registration.

Can the grace period be extended?

Yes. Under the RA 11934, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (“DICT”), as the lead agency in implementing the new law, may extend the grace period for a period not exceeding one hundred twenty (120) days — bringing the SIM registration to 300 days.