MANILA – Minors can’t register as owners of SIM cards, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said Thursday.

All mobile subscribers are required to enroll their SIM cards within 180 or 6 months from the effectivity of the SIM Card Registration law on Dec. 27. Failure to register within this period will result in the deactivation of SIM cards.

“Pinagbababawal po ng batas kasi yung SIMs ay irehistro sa pangalan po ng menor de edad,” NTC consultant Edgardo Cabarrios told TeleRadyo.

“Pagka po ang magpaparehistro ay menor de edad, kailangan pong magpresenta siya ng consent ng magulang o guardian kasi sa magulang o guardian ipapangalan po yung SIM,” he said.

(The law doesn't allow SIM cards to be registered under the names of minors. If a minor is going to register a SIM card, he or she must present a letter of consent from a parent or guardian, because the SIM card will be registered under their name.)

Foreign tourists who buy SIM cards in the Philippines will also have to register, Cabarrios said.

“Ipipresenta po kasi yung passport, nandoon po yung visa at naroon yung stay niya, number of days dito sa Pilipinas, tapos yung proof of address kung saan siya titira, hotel or whatever ano, condominium, et cetera--basta meron pong address,” he said.

(They will present their passport, their visa, and documents saying how long they will stay in the Philippines, and proof of where they will live here.)

Their SIM cards will be active for 30 days, Cabarrios noted.

“Kung mae-extend yung kanyang stay, magpipresenta lang po sila ng proof na na-extend yung stay niya para ma-extend po yung validity nung SIM na binili niya dito sa Pilipinas,” he added.

(If their stay will be extended, they will have to show proof so the validity of the SIM card they bought will be extended.)

SIM cards could be registered online by filling up forms on the websites of telecommunications companies.

• ALAMIN: Paano ipaparehistro ang SIM card?

The law does not limit the number of SIM cards a Filipino can register, Cabarrios said. But he noted that the public would be held responsible for all SIM cards registered under their names.

“Dapat maging responsable ka, e kasi pagka sa nagamit yan, hindi ko alam, for illegal activities, ikaw ang primary suspect eh. So mag-ingat lang po. Magparehistro ng karampatang numero, yung kaya mong i-monitor, kaya mong bantayan,” he said.

(You must be responsible--if it is used for illegal activities, you will be the primary suspect. So we must be careful. Register only the numbers you can monitor.)

— TeleRadyo, 15 December 2022