Mindanaotoday.com | NTC-10 facilitates SIM registration in Bukidnon town
By: Irene Joy Dayo
BAUNGON, Bukidnon – Residents of Baungon town in Bukidnon gathered at their town’s covered court, February 2, to register their SIM cards, as the National Telecommunications Commission-10 (NTC-10) facilitated a physical registration.
Different service providers, such as Globe Telecom, Smart, and DITO, came to the event to accommodate their subscribers in the town.
Engr. Vixter Abaday of NTC-10 said SIM registration is very important, for it ensures the protection of SIM subscribers against scams and deceptive messages that could possibly lead to danger. He said that once SIM registration is complete, scammers using a particular phone number will be easily traced and properly dealt with.
“Since rehistrado na na nga number, so regardless man na i-dispose na nimo nga number, since ang pangalan ato nga tao na-capture naman, it would be easier na dayon for the law enforcement. Kung kinsa tong gapadala og text scams or threats, pwede na nato pasakaan og kaso. So karon ang atong mga subscribers, protektado na kay ato naman ma-identify kinsa tong gapadala og scams or any forms of illegal activities over the cellphone,” Abaday said.
Furthermore, he shared the difference between registering prepaid and postpaid numbers.
“It is easier for postpaid numbers to be registered since the user’s data is already in their system. What a telecommunications company will do is verify the data. If the details are correct, the phone number’s owner will just type “yes.” For prepaid numbers, Smart and Globe require subscribers to access their portals, while DITO requires a mobile app where subscribers will enter their basic details, which will be verified by a valid ID and a selfie holding an ID,” he explained.
Abaday also shared that the committee assigned to oversee the SIM registration identified 13 priority areas in Region 10 for the walk-in SIM card registration. Overall, there are 40 areas per region identified, and they are given 180 days to comply with the SIM Card Registration, which will end on April 26, 2023.
Venus Aboga-a Cabiting, 45, a mother and town resident, said she appreciates the SIM card registration because it assures her that the SIM card is personally hers. It is also a way of protecting one’s phone number against scams.
“I am registering my SIM card because of its importance. It allows me to communicate with my husband and kids, who are working in other places,” she said.
Similarly, resident Emma Oblad, 48, said she preferred to benefit from the walk-in SIM registration in their municipal covered court because it is free and, at the same time, easier and faster.
According to NTC-10, more remote areas with poor connectivity will be visited to assist residents with SIM registration, thereby realizing the program’s theme, “Para sa Mapanatag na Lipunan, SIM Registered Ako, SIM Registered Lahat Tayo!” (IJBD | PIA-10)
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