No extension on SIM card registration's April 26 deadline—DICT

No extensions will be made on the SIM card registration's April 26 deadline despite requests from telco companies, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said.

In a statement on Wednesday, April 19, the DICT reminded everyone to register their SIM cards, as it's only just a week away before the deadline.

"[W]e encourage everyone to register to promote the responsible use of SIMs," the agency said, "and provide law enforcement agencies the necessary tools to crack down on perpetrators who use SIMs for their crimes[.]"

Non-registration will result in deactivation, preventing subscribers from receiving and sending calls and text messages, as well as accessing mobile applications and digital wallets.

The National Telecommunications Commission said that as of April 16, about 71.9 million SIMs out of 168.9 million, or 42.58%, have been registered.

Dito Telecommunity has about 13.1 million registrants, Globe has 31 million, and Smart has 35.6 million.

The SIM Card Registration Act was signed into law last October 2022.

Filipinos began registering their new and existing SIM cards in December of the same year, after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) released the implementing rules and regulations of the SIM Card Registration Act.

The original bill passed by the 18th Congress was supposed to be signed last April 2022, but former president Rodrigo Duterte vetoed it due to a provision that also required social media registration, in which users must go by their real names. Duterte cited the need for a "more thorough study" amid individual privacy and free speech concerns.