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Bicam approves bill on lifetime cellphone number


The joint panel of the Senate and House of Representatives approved Tuesday the bill seeking to allow consumers to keep their cellphone numbers for life, even if they changed service providers or subscription plans.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs and author of the bill, said the approval of the measure would be timely with the entry of a third telecommunications company in the country.

“Itong bill ay naaprubahan na. Ang importanteng features nito ay ang consumers natin na gustong lumipat sa third telco, hindi na nila kailangang magpalit pa ng cellphone numbers so puwede na nilang dala-dala ang kanilang numbers,” Gatchalian told reporters after the bicameral conference committee hearing.

“Kung ang third telco ay nagbaba ng presyo, nagbigay ng mas magandang service, hindi na tayong mahihirapang lumipat sa kahit anong telco. Ngayon kasi kung marami kang cellphone numbers, isang malaking problema kung lilipat ka ay kakailanganin mo i-text ang lahat na papalitan mo na ang cellphone number mo, with this law, hindi mo na kailangan gawin yun,” he added.

Gatchalian said the bill intends to improve competition in the telecommunication industry.

“This law was conceived because we want to improve the competition and nakita namin na kahit pumasok ang third telco, kung walang ganitong batas, mahihirapan siyang kumuha ng mga customers because yung mga customers ng Globe at Smart, embedded na,” he said.

IRR

Gatchalian said joint panel decided to give the National Telecommunications Commission six months to come up with the implementing rules and regulations so that the law can be implemented immediately.

“Based on our hearing, possible na ito kasi marami nang bansa ang gumagawa nito. This will improve competition at ngayon ay mas madali na sa ating lumipat ng iba’t ibang telco companies na hindi na kailangang magpalit ng cellphone number,” he said.

He said the bill will be applicable to both prepaid and postpaid subscribers.

“For example, you are postpaid, so naka-register na ang pangalan mo doon. So madali kang lumipat dahil madadala mo na ang pangalan at number mo. Kapag prepaid, you will be forced to register because paglipat mo doon, dapat alam din nila kung kanino ang number na naka-attach. The only way to do that is to identify your name. that will be covered in the IRR,” he said.

Gatchalian said any telecommunication company that would refuse to give to the subscriber his number will face up to P40 million in penalty and revocation of franchise.  — RSJ, GMA News