PLDT’s wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and its value brand TNT continue to ramp up their efforts to encourage more people to register their Subscriber Identity Module (SIMs) following the announcement of the deadline extension from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). In the Davao Region, Smart partnered with small enterprises and utilize existing partnerships to extend assistance to more subscribers.

For 23-year-old Kimberly Tamayo of Matina, Davao City, aside from following the government mandate, registering her SIM  meant keeping her number from being deactivated. “It’s very important for me to register this SIM since I have been using it for a very long time. Aside from contacting my family and friends, I also use this for my social media accounts and other online transactions,” she said.

Smart and TNT aim to deploy more teams in Mindanao to help those who may need assistance in registering their SIMs, especially senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and those using non-data phones. 

Aside from partnering with local government units, schools, cooperatives, malls and market places, they also set up booths in accessible establishments, like small cafes near schools, offering freebies and treats to increase the number of registrants.

New and existing Smart Prepaid and TNT subscribers may also visit PLDT and Smart stores, or access Smart’s SIM registration portal through https://www.smart.com.ph/simreg. Postpaid users, meanwhile, are considered registered using existing account details provided consistent with the SIM registration act.

According to Republic Act 11934 or the SIM Registration Act, all SIM users now have until July 25, 2023, to register their SIMs under their name, or risk deactivation. The SIM Registration Act regulates the use of SIM cards to help curb the proliferation of text scams and other mobile phone-aided criminal activities.