The Senate ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the disagreeing provisions of the proposed SIM Registration Bill.
Senator Grace Poe, co-chairperson of the bicameral panel, said the bicameral panel agreed to use the Senate version as the working draft of the bill but with a number of reconciled provisions.
Among the provisions that the Senate and House of Representatives contingents approved is the removal 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.
Poe explained that the Senate version only indicated “SIM Registration” since there are already “e-SIMs.”
The bicameral conference committee also followed the Senate framework on registration which goes directly through the public telecommunications entities’ platform as a prerequisite to the activation of a SIM.
The 180-day registration period, on the other hand, has been retained. Minors still need the consent of a parent or guardian before they can register.
Residents living in remote areas can still register their SIMs since the bill will require telecommunication companies to put up registration facilities in far-flung areas within 60 days from the effectivity of the measure.
“Wala dapat maiiwan. 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.
— Ronald Espartinez