MANILA - The deadline of the SIM registration, which falls on April 26, is in line with the law, the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National Telecommunications Commission said on Monday.
The mandatory SIM registration started on Dec. 27. Some users earlier expressed confusion whether the deadline would fall in April or in June. But regulators said the deadline had always been April 26.
"Said deadline is in line with the provisions of Republic Act No. 11934, or the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act, which states that 'All existing SIMs subscribers shall register the same with their respective PTEs within one hundred eighty (180) days from the effectivity of this Act'," the statement said.
The law stated that it would take effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
It was signed on Oct. 10 and published in the Official Gazette on Oct. 12 and in the Daily Tribune the next day, the agencies said.
"It therefore took effect 15 days after such publication, or no later than 28 October 2022," it added.
The DICT said that while it could extend the registration, the goal is to finish within the original deadline.
Meanwhile, regulators have yet to release the guidelines for the rollout of SIM registration in remote areas.
As of Jan. 11, over 17 million SIMS have been registered, representing 10.47 percent of the 169 million mobile cellular subscribers nationwide, government data showed.
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