SIM card registration begins on Dec. 27—here's what you need to know

Filipinos must register their new and existing SIM cards starting Dec. 27 to avoid deactivation, after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) released the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the SIM Card Registration Act.

Here's a rundown of the NTC's IRR published on Monday, Dec. 12.

Do I have to register on Dec. 27 immediately?

Subscribers will have 180 days from the law's effectivity to register, or until June 25, 2023. Registration may be extended by up to 120 days, or up to Oct. 23, 2023.

SIMs to be registered include the typical ones for short message services, voice, and data; embedded SIMS or eSIMs; and those used for data-only or fixed wireless broadband.

Starting Dec. 27, the IRR states that all new SIMs are in a "deactivated state," and users must register.

Postpaid users, even though they already provided their personal information to telco companies, must still confirm their previously submitted data.

Where do I register my SIM?

Public telecommunication entities or telco companies are required to provide user-friendly yet secure websites and other online platforms for registration.

The forms will have a declaration stating that the person presented documents that are true and correct, and that the person is the one accomplishing the form.

For remote areas with limited internet connectivity, the NTC, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Education will take charge of the registration alongside the telco companies.

What are the information and documents that I have to provide?

Individuals must submit the following:

• Full name
• Birthday 
• Sex 
• Present or official address
• Identification card
• ID number

They may present the following IDs:

• Passport
• Philippine Identification System ID
• Social Security Service ID
• Government Service Insurance System ID
• Driver’s license
• National Bureau of Investigation clearance
• Police clearance
• Firearms’ license to own and possess ID
• Professional Regulation Commission ID
• Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID
• Overseas Workers Welfare Administration ID
• Bureau of Internal Revenue ID
• Voter’s ID
• Senior citizen's card
• Unified Multi-purpose ID
• Persons with Disabilities card
• Other valid government-issued ID with photo

For minors, registration shall be under the name of the parent and guardian, who shall present any of the ID listed above, as well as a consent form.

Businesses and organizations, meanwhile, must provide the following:

• Business name
• Business address
• Full name of authorized signatory

Foreign nationals visiting as tourists may use their registered SIM for 30 days only, and will become automatically deactivated afterward. They shall provide the following:

• Passport
• Proof of address in the Philippines, including hotel booking or affidavit/letter from the owner of the residence
• Return ticket to own country

Those with other types of visas, however, won't be subjected to automatic deactivation and may register as usual. They have to provide the following:

• Passport
• Proof of address in the Philippines, including hotel booking or affidavit/letter from the owner of the residence
• Other pertinent documents, like:
• Alien employment permit
• Alien certificate or registration
• School registration and ID for students
• Department of Justice-approved admission document for persons of concern

What happens if I don't register my SIM?

It will result in automatic deactivation of the SIM. Once that happens, reactivation may only happen after registration is made not later than five days.

"Pagbili po nila (ng SIM), pwede na po nila iparehistro. Iyong existing, pwede na rin," Edgardo Cabarios, consultant of the NTC, told ANC on Tuesday, Dec 13.

Cabarios noted that telco companies will send subscribers notices about registering their SIM cards.

What if my SIM gets lost or stolen?

Users must submit the following to their telco company:

• Name
• Address
• Birthday
• Mobile number
• Other relevant and reasonable information to fully establish ownership of the SIM

The IRR also states that any change in the information provided during registration must be immediately reported to the telco company. In case the user dies, immediate family or relatives must also report it at once.

Will my personal data be secure?

The IRR states that any information and data obtained in the registration process shall be treated as absolutely confidential and shall not be disclosed to any person.

The telco company, however, can disclose one's full name and address of an end-user in the following instances:

• In compliance with any law obligating the disclosure of information in accordance with the Data Privacy Act
• In compliance with a court order or legal process upon finding of probable cause
• With the written consent of the subscriber

The relevant data and information shall be kept by the telco companies for 10 years after deactivation.

What happens to offenders?

Those who will provide false or fictitious information, or will use fictitious identities or fraudulent identification documents to register a SIM, will be imprisoned for up to two years and/or slapped with a fine of up to P300,000.

Those who sell or transfer a registered SIM without complying with the required registration will be jailed from six months to six years and/or a fine of P100,000 to P300,000.

Those who spoof a registered SIM by transmitting misleading or inaccurate information about the source of phone call or text message to intentionally defraud, cause harm, or obtain anything of value, will face a minimum of six years in prison and/or a fine of P200,000.

Telco companies who will fail or refuse to register SIMs without valid reason shall be slapped with fines of P100,000 to P300,000 (first offense), P300,000 to P500,000 (second offense), and P500,000 to P1 million (third offense onwards).

Telco companies, resellers, or entities selling stolen SIMs will be behind bars for up to two years and/or fined P300,000.

Unauthorized disclosure of personal information also incurs a fine of P400,000 minimum and P4 million maximum, whether internationally or otherwise.