By Arabella Asis
As the deadline nears for the subscriber identity module (SIM) registration, most Filipinos are expecting that no extension will be given to subscribers who will fail to comply.
According to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), there will be no extension for the SIM card registration period despite the request of telecommunications entities to extend the deadline.
We asked the netizens if they are in favor of extending the deadline for SIM registration.
Most netizens expressed dismay over subscribers who have yet to register their SIM.
“No extension. Simpleng patakaran, [‘di] magawa. Masyado [nang] maluwag [‘yan], ilang buwan na [ang] palugit and it takes only 10 minutes of our time,” one netizen argued.
“‘Pag gusto ng pagbabago, dapat sumusunod. Hindi ‘yung extend [nang] extend. Ginagawa niyo lang na katawa-tawa ‘yang mga batas na ginagawa [niyo],” another netizen followed.
Meanwhile, some Filipinos overseas shared their concern on the slow and difficult process of registering their SIMs.
“[Paano] kaming [nandito] sa ibang bansa, hindi pa nakapagrehistro,” one netized shared.
The DICT is continuously reminding the public to register their SIM before April 26.
“The DICT reiterates that the SIM Registration Act places primacy on the fundamental rights of Filipinos and is replete with safeguards to ensure the confidentiality and security of user data,” the DICT said in a statement.
As of April 17, a total of 73,033,833 SIM cards have been registered, including 31,585,578 for Globe, 36,115,938 for Smart, and 5,332,317 for Dito. – cf