MANILA — Authorities are working out to clarify guidelines under the SIM Registration Law, including how many SIMs can be enrolled per person, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said Saturday.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. approved the measure this week, which aims to address the deluge of text scams and spams.

• IRR of SIM Registration Law out 60 days after measure's effectivity: DICT chief

DICT Assistant Secretary Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo said they want the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) to state how many "reasonable" number of SIMs can one person register, considering that SIMs are also used for businesses.

"I think it will be in the IRR who will be navigating that area, ilan ba ang puwedeng i-register sa iisang pangalan ng tao," Lamentillo said in an interview on ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

There are around 160 million SIMs currently being used by Filipinos, the official noted.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy this week told reporters that a person can register multiple SIM cards, but these would need to be properly identified.

For Manila Bulletin tech editor Art Samaniego, there should be no limit in the number of SIMs that can be registered.

"Ang batas kasi nagsabi na okay lang mag-register, bumili ka ng SIM pero kailangan i-register mo," Samaniego said during the same interview.

"Walang limit kasi depende sa pangangailangan ng tao, so kung kailangan mo may negosyo ka, i-register mo lahat yon," he added.

REGISTRATION PROCESS, CHALLENGES

Among the issues the DICT aims to address in the IRR is the registration process, backing calls that this should be done online.

• Amid National ID delays, DICT says SIM registration can use 'less' secure means

Lamentillo acknowledged the fact that many overseas Filipino workers rely on SIMs to contact their loved ones and they also want to make the enrollment process accessible to them.

"We can confirm that already. Kumbaga ang modality, sigurado mayroong onsite registration at electronic registration. Ang pinagtatalunan lang natin is mayroon ba tayong additional requirements," she said, adding that they want data submitted to them to be encrypted.

"Dapat may kaakibat na encryption process para kung sakaling magkaroon ng cyber attack them protected pa rin ang data at hindi nila kaya basahin."

Another challenge that may hound the registration of SIMs is the funding for the database, and whether this would be shouldered by the public.

Under the law, new SIM cards must be activated only upon the registration of the user through a public telecommunications entity (PTE). Existing SIM subscribers, however, must register within 180 days of the effectivity of the law.

But the DICT official clarified that registration would have no cost to subscribers and it was so far unclear if telcos will shoulder this.

"Isa yan sa mga pinag-uusapan ngayon sa implementing rules and regulations but what we can assure you is walang cost or fees sa mga consumers, na itong registration process, hindi end-user ang magbabayad," she said.

Samaniego said the authentication of IDs will play a crucial role in the SIM registration because individuals can submit fake documents.

He added that while there are 17 government-issued IDs that can be accepted under the new law, many of those could be easily faked.

"'Yung mga telcos, hindi sila equipped to ascertain the authenticity of the documents presented to them, wala silang kakayahan eh... paano nila mao-authenticate?" said the technology editor.

"Para ma-verify 'yan, tama ang suggestion ng Globe, tinali siya sa National ID... Puwede [kasi sila] mag-submit ng fake data," he added.

The SIM Registration Law's IRR will be out 60 days after the measure's effectivity, or 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

The law states that the National Telecommunications Commission in coordination with the DICT and other agencies and groups will craft and promulgate an IRR of the measure.