Passport, driver’s license allowed for SIM card registration - DICT

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said Wednesday that Filipinos will be able to use passports and driver’s licenses when registering their SIM cards should they lack a national ID.
 
According to DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy, the public will have to use other valid identification cards given the delayed rollout of the national ID.
 
“There are other IDs that we’ve been using — passports, driver’s licenses, and so on. There’s a way of validating them,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a press briefing in Mandaluyong City.
 
“You can always contact the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), LTO (Land Transportation Office), just to revalidate whether those are authentic or not,” he added.
 
However, Uy acknowledged that the national ID would be a more secure option as it already includes biometrics.
 
“It (other IDs) is definitely less secure, but as I said, if you want the best, do we wait? How long do we wait?” he said.
 
“Might as well proceed with this and then, as the technology is more available with respect to a higher security level, we [will] roll it out as it comes because we cannot just wait forever,” Uy added.
 
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday signed the SIM Card Registration Act, which mandates all public telecommunications entities (PTEs) or direct sellers of SIM cards to require users to present a valid identification document with a photo upon purchase.
 
From the effectivity of the law, all existing postpaid and prepaid SIM users will be required to register within 180 days, or about six months, to avoid deactivation.

The DICT can extend the registration period for no more than 120 days.
 
In response, telecommunications firms have called for the full rollout of the national identification system to ensure the implementation of the new law.
 
“Yes, that's fully noted. Anyway, they will be part of the IRR (implementing rules and regulations) drafting so they can provide their inputs there,” Uy said.
 
“In the meantime, while we’re waiting like forever for our national ID, we have to move on. The rest of the country cannot wait as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is still playing catch up on the national ID,” he added.

The PSA — which targets to distribute 30 million physical cards and 20 million digital IDs by the end of 2022 — has been receiving complaints about delays in the delivery of the IDs.

The PSA last month said it had already registered over 70 million Filipinos to the Philippine Identification System.
 
In July, Marcos ordered the issuance of 30 million physical cards and 20 million digital IDs under the PhilSys to achieve 92 million by the middle of 2023.

Uy said it would be easier to register the prepaid SIM users through an application where they would be able to input their contact details and just upload a photo of their valid ID.

Should there be issues with the authenticity of the valid IDs, users will then be required to proceed to physical outlets of telecommunication companies.
 
“I think that might be the better process, so hindi lahat dudumog sa mga opisina dahil kulang ‘yan [not all will flock to the offices because there are not enough],” Uy said.

Uy said the National Telecommunications Commission, one of the DICT's attached agencies, has already started drafting the IRR even before the passage of the measure.

“I think they can easily come up with an IRR very soon. They continue to work with the telcos and the other stakeholders,” he said. — VBL, GMA News