[M.C.A.]

SIM Registration Bill now up for Marcos' signature

Any thoughts?


The SIM Registration Bill only needs President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s signature to become a law.

This developed after the Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the disagreeing provisions of the proposed measure.

Senator Grace Poe, co-chairperson of the bicameral panel, reported the highlights of the report during the session on Wednesday.

According to Poe, the bicameral panel agreed to use the Senate version as the working draft but with numerous reconciled provisions.

Among the provisions that the Senate and House of Representatives contingents agreed upon is the dropping of the term "SIM card" from the bill.

"Innovation on mobile technology is fast-paced and our law must be able to accommodate all present and future variations of SIMs," Poe said.

Earlier, Poe explained that the Senate version of the bill only indicated "SIM Registration" as there are so-called "e-SIMs."

The bicameral conference committee also adopted the Senate framework on registration which goes directly through the public telecommunications entities' platform as a prerequisite to the activation of a SIM.

Poe said it will not only pose less risk of data breach but it will also place less burden on small-scale resellers who may not have the proper training to handle personal information.

The bicameral conference committee report retained the 180-day registration period, the registration of a SIM by a minor through a parent or guardian, and all the safeguards on the SIM Register.


The lawmakers also agreed to improve the bill by specifying a non-exhaustive list of identification cards with photo which can be presented during the registration.

According to Poe, this is part of their commitment to make the registration process as clearly-outlined and as seamless as possible.

The bicameral panel also clarified the documentary requirements for foreign nationals who purchase local SIMs to make the Philippine tourism and business environment as friendly as possible to foreign visitors.

Further, the bicam contingents agreed that the data of existing postpaid subscribers should already be included in the SIM Register to ease the process.

To ensure that residents in remote areas may register their SIMs, Poe said the final version of the bill will require the PTEs to establish necessary registration facilities in far-flung areas within 60 days from the effectivity of the measure.

"Wala dapat maiiwan (No one should be left behind). The SIM registration process should be inclusive and accessible especially for those who may have limited access to the internet, and the burden to make this happen is on the telcos who have the capacity and resources to make this happen," she said.

Lastly, Poe said they amended the confidentiality clause of the measure and agreed that SIM registration data can only be disclosed through a court order upon finding of probable cause.

In the 18th Congress, the bill was vetoed by former President Rodrigo Duterte due to the provision on social media registration. —AOL/VBL, GMA News

 

[bigpearl]

Sorry for my ignorance to understand and follow the typical bobbly goop posted by this government. What you posted M.C.A.? What is the essence or understandable meaning? Simply for a layman like me? Sorry to be dim.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[Ekspat]

What is the essence

If you buy or use a sim card, you need to provide ID. No more anonymity or privacy...IF the bill passes into law.

 

[bigpearl]

TY Sir, so control over the masses? The apple never falls far from the tree.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[Gary D]

I guess if you have purchased a post paid SIM directly from a provider then you have already gone through all these steps, it's only buying a pre load sim from a vender that the necessity arises. We often forget we live in a soft police state.

 

[bigpearl]

But for me? I only buy a sim card over the counter, on my 3rd one now in 12 years and simply topped up at a 7/11 store or for the last few years with g cash, so what happens to the existing sim cards? Like mine? Soft police state or control over the populous. As said the apple never falls far from the tree especially now in this digital age, better to focus on the economic future of the Filipinos and not worrying/focusing on text msg's. Access.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[grahamw57]

Priorities.

'Let's continue to make life as (unnecessarily) complicated for our long-suffering citizens'.

Meanwhile, out in the real Philippines, a whole helmetless, flipflop-wearing family of 5 astride a motorcycle, is overlooked...as is the need of pedestrians to be able to safely walk on unobstructed sidewalks.

 

[bigpearl]

graham, uncomplicated? Here? Get real. Building and fence permit, typically here you need to supply all the relevant docs as per the municipal and Barangay check lists that they supply,,,,,,, all supplied and wait for it,,,,,,,, to date 3 more trips to municipal for extra docs and requirements that are not on their checklist, go figure and the local Barangay 2 extra visits.

Only an observation but the long suffering citizens dug their own grave and created a system where they all suffer while the overseers and those that make up backward rules always have their hand out and like to make the poor suffering citizens life a complete misery with inefficiencies and excuses.

Priorities or ineptitude? When you spend enough time here you learn that there are no priorities and simple B/S excuses.
We have been waiting for 10 or 11 months to simply have our new roof repaired after a failure to do the job properly, all agree (the company) the work was wrong and we will fix,,,,,,, 10 plus months on?

Complicated? Welcome to the Philippines. Simple? Hindi. Frustrating, oo.
On the upside all the above keeps me off the streets in my retirement.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[Tiz]

I don't see the big deal.

The ones I've known and used, Australia and Singapore, both require prepaid sims to be registered. and I'm sure many other countries do as well.

If all sims were registered here then it would be much easier to prosecute the spammers and scammers.

Of course the process to register the sim will be much more complicated and inefficient here than in either Australia or Singapore.

 

[bigpearl]

And what for? As said I'm on my 3rd sim purchased over the counter, same as Filipino citizens.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[M.C.A.]

Sorry for my ignorance to understand and follow the typical bobbly goop posted by this government. What you posted M.C.A.? What is the essence or understandable meaning? Simply for a layman like me? Sorry to be dim.

Cheers, Steve.

I was hoping someone else would do the leg work on this but from what I've already read you'll need your photo taken and I suppose some sort of online registration with a valid ID or passport ect...to fill out but that was left to the telcos to figure out and they already take days to fix your internet connection.

Who knows we might end up having to get a barangay and a police clearance next.

Every kind of burecratic government red tape action has a work around and it usually winds up coming out of your pocket but the good news is that It'll create a whole new slew of fixers to get the job done so more jobs.

 

[bigpearl]

So what are you and others saying? Those that already have an existing sim need to dice it and apply again? I can go to Europe, the States and simply purchase a sim card over the counter, same in Australia, one must ask the aim of this new order. New revised control? The tech age for a revisiting regime?
As for the safety and security of my latest 4 year old number? Purchased in a Kiosk? Sure from time to time I get a [email protected] msg and I simply delete. Generated numbers from scammers.
What is the aim of this futile exercise instead of building the country as most Filipinos want and need.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[Gary D]

In the UK, don't know about elsewhere, I can buy a sim from a supermarket etc but I still need to register my details with the telco before it's activated. Here you just put it in your phone and off you go. I think I can see where they are coming from, just not given it any thoughts before.

 

[bigpearl]

Probably Gary but where is this leading? Those that have existing phone numbers?
Yet another fiasco orchestrated here and for what reason? Better to focus on those that need and want to receive help in a third world/developing nation.
Register your phone? For 30 years in Australia I have had voice mail, if I don't answer the caller leaves a msg, free to retrieve, normal coms there, here? Not happening and never will, The 2 big mobile Telcos hold a monopoly and like always here? Depends on who you grease with the most money, in the interim the Filipino people are paying the price with missed or unanswered calls from customers, loved ones, the line is busy or the many drop outs.

OMO but it's time for the telcos here to joint the 21st century and tell this new government to focus on the people and not info gathering from an already failed telco system.
Not trying to be political but I see the focus is better spent where it matters. Why do you think Telstra Australia pulled out of the [email protected] that goes on here? I think there were too many greased palms and the 4,000 thousand jobs here went to some other country. Telstra abandoned their operations here from what I have read.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[Tiz]

and simply purchase a sim card over the counter, same in Australia,

Last couple of times I've been to Aus, I had to register the sims I bought, before I could use them by use by uploading a copy of passport or driver's license.

 

[Tiz]

Just to check if I was dreaming...

I went to the websites of the 2 largest telcos in Australia, Telstra & Optus.
As you can see, registration is required.

 

[bigpearl]

Only saying Tiz is this necessary? Given I have had the same number with dumb for 5 years and never registered?
This is the Philippines and not Australia but it appears some want to take control here instead of focusing on the real requirements needed by the people.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[Tiz]

looks like most countries mandate sim registration.

 

[bigpearl]

So it seems the Philippines wants to follow what other countries do. I can only presume that existing numbers will be exempt? Only new sims if this bill is passed?
Who can ever tell here.

Cheers, Steve.

 

[fmartin_gila]

So it seems the Philippines wants to follow what other countries do. I can only presume that existing numbers will be exempt? Only new sims if this bill is passed?
Who can ever tell here.

Cheers, Steve.

As I understand, new SIMs will be registered to activate and existing ones will have to be registered within a time period or if not registered within that time period will be automaticly deactivated.

Fred