President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday allowed the SIM registration period to extend another 90 days, according to state-owned Radio Television Malacanang. The extension paves the way for Globe Telecoms, Smart Communications and Dito Telecommunity to continue serving millions of subscribers after the original 26 April 2023 deadline would have lapsed.
As a result, Globe and TM subscribers may now proceed to register their SIMs on the GCash app after the government extends the deadline for SIM registration for another 90 days from the original deadline of April 26.
“Globe and TM customers who are GCash users will receive a prompt to register their SIMs and they just need to follow the instructions. Once successful, subscribers get free 1GB of data which they can use right away,” it added.
By registering, customers avoid SIM deactivation and have uninterrupted access to such services as the telcos’ popular e-wallet accounts.
If not for the extension, subscribers of Globe Telecoms, Smart Communications and DitoTelecommunity would have limited access and eventual denial of service.
“We welcome the 90-day extension which gives our subscribers more time to register and more time for us and the government to campaign for SIM registration,” Cathy Yang, first vice president and group head, Corporate Communications, PLDT & Smart said.
Customers who fail to register their SIMs linked to these accounts may still access their funds by requesting a transfer to a new registered mobile number from the GCash Help Center. The process, however, will take several days.
“That’s why we encourage SIM users with GCash wallets to register their SIMs before the deadline to avoid this inconvenience. We remind our customers to register their SIMs only with the GCash app or through the official portals of their respective telco providers,” Martha Sazon, GCash president and chief executive said.
GCash said it will never ask its customers to share their OTP, MPIN, or other sensitive information.
SIM registration is mandated by the government under Republic Act 11934 or the SIM Registration Act. It was enacted to combat online fraud and other forms of cybercrime.
