MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is discussing extending the deadline for the registration of SIM cards beyond April 26 due to the low number of registrations despite the fast-approaching deadline.
Based on the latest record of the National Telecommunications Commission, only 38.8% of the over 168 million SIM cards are registered.
This prompted telco and government agencies to study how to make the registration process easier.
DICT Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Ian Dy stated that while there is no official deadline extension policy, they are considering the low adoption or registration statistics as April 26 draws near.
Dy also reiterated that SIM card registration is crucial in preventing cybercrimes such as phishing and scams, as it can help identify and track down scammers. Despite this, Dy expressed his concern over extending the deadline, citing the possibility of complacency among the public.
The deadline remains April 26, and the public is encouraged to register their SIM cards as soon as possible to avoid inconvenience and prevent cybercrimes.