Good morning everyone.

Four weeks into the SIM registration, we have reached more than 24 million successful registrations. To significantly add to this number, we start today the activation of the assisted registration in identified geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs)—these are the pilot areas, 15 sites in different regions in the country that have been identified by the Ad Hoc committee. 

Our efforts have been guided by the on-site experience in Barangay Sapang-Kawayan, Masantol, Pampanga where we conducted the first assisted registration last January 7. This experience provided us valuable insights as we prepared for the rollout in the different GIDAs in the country. 

Aside from our public telecommunications entities, the DICT and NTC have been working with our partner agencies for this undertaking. The DICT’s Free Wi-Fi sites will serve as the hubs for SIM registration. The DILG is providing the necessary support through the LGUs that have been tasked to disseminate information about this undertaking. The DOJ’s booths for NBI clearance will help our kababayans who do not have valid government-issued IDs. Our PTEs are also doing every effort necessary to ensure the success of these registrations. We want to finish the SIM registration on time, and we want to help all end-users to comply with the law.

DICT Secretary Ivan Uy has also tasked us to see the possibility of simultaneously capturing biometrics for the National ID while registering SIM cards, especially in remote areas. We will be coordinating with the Philippine Statistics Authority on this.

We would like to reiterate that the deadline for SIM Registration is on April 26, 2023. We are reaching out to SIM end-users in areas with limited telecommunication or internet access to assist them in registering their SIMs, as we also continue to encourage the public to register as soon as they can and do not wait for the deadline. The DICT, under the leadership of Secretary Ivan John Uy, is doing everything to help our citizens comply with the mandatory SIM registration.

Thank you everyone.