NTC kicks off SIM card registration in remote areas

INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has officially kicked off its mission to register SIM cards in isolated parts of the country.

NTC officer-in-charge Commissioner Ella Lopez announced on Thursday that the rollout of the registration in rural areas was made possible through the teamwork of telecoms and government agencies.

“The endeavor is aimed at maximizing SIM subscriber participation in the SIM Registration process, thereby helping ensure the successful implementation of the SIM Registration Act,” she said in a statement.

The NTC said a combination of three parameters was used in the selection of remote areas where it would hold its SIM card registration campaign:

• the number of the area’s telecommunications or internet access infrastructure
• the number of geographically isolated and disadvantaged area barangays
• population

It explained that the three factors enabled the regional offices to conduct an analysis of the true condition of the region, which included examining its proximity or distance from major centers, the use of land transportation, the initial opinion of the Local Government Unit (LGU), and the availability of SIM registration sites.

After determining the zones depending on the three criteria, the NTC said the list was forwarded to the telcos for concurrence.

“For telcos, the concurrence was based on scoping their network, the availability of manpower and budget for the activity,” it said.

READ: SIM card registration: A step-by-step guide

Below is the schedule and location of SIM card registration per region:

January 25

Region I

Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte

-Municipal auditorium of Pasuquin

Region VII

Moalboal, Cebu

-Covered court (gym) beside the municipal hall of Moalboal

Region VIII

Palo, Leyte

-Municipal gym of Palo

Region X

Pangantucan, Bukidnon

-Municipal gymnasium of Pangantucan

Region XI

Malalag, Davao del Sur

-Covered court of Malalag

January 26

CAR

Atok, Benguet

-Basketball court in Atok

Region II

Camalaniugan, Cagayan

Camalaniugan Sports Complex in Brgy. Dacal, Lafugu, Maharlika Hi-way

Region III

Calumpit, Bulacan

-Municipal covered court of Calumpit

Region IV-A

Rosario, Batangas

-Luancing Covered Court at the back of municipal hall of Brgy. Poblacion, Rosario

Region IX

Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur

-Multipurpose covered court in Brgy. Arena Blanco

January 27

Region IV-B

Baco, Oriental Mindoro

-Covered court in Brgy. Sta. Rosa 1, Baco

Region V

City of Ligao, Albay

-Multipurpose covered court in Brgy. Paulba, Ligao City

Region VI

Carles, Iloilo

-Covered gym of Carles in front of the municipal hall

Region XII

Arakan, Cotabato

Emergency Operations Center in the Evacuation Center building, Municipal Hall compound, Poblacion, Arakan

Region XIII

Tagbina, Surigao del Sur

-Municipal gym of Tagbina

kga/abc