Just a day before the initial April 26 deadline, the government has confirmed that SIM Registration will be extended by 90 days, making July 25 the new deadline. Following an earlier announcement, DOJ secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed to media that Malacañang has implemented the 90-day extension after a Cabinet Cluster meeting.

This decision comes after DICT and the Senate initially rejected the need for an extension for SIM Registration beyond the April 26 deadline. Prior to this, telcos have appealed to the government for an extension, with PLDT and Smart Group Corporate Communications Head Cathy Yang pointing out that when Indonesia and India enacted their SIM registration push, their governments gave citizens 1 to 2 years to comply.

Aside from that, telcos also cited factors such as the lack of proper valid IDs and digital literacy as obstacles to a smooth SIM registration process.

While the extended deadline for SIM Registration is granted, Remulla notes that subscribers will have limited access after the initial April 26 deadline until they fully register their SIM. “Most of the services will be cut off with the telcos (telecommunications companies). So, there will be a social media unavailability for those who do not register in the next 90 days,” Remulla explains.

As of April 23, about 82,845,397, or 49.31% of SIM cards have been registered, with the breakdown as follows:

• DITO: 5,796,175 / 38.73%
• Globe: 37,099,437 / 42.77%
• Smart: 39,949,785 / 60.25%