Camarines Sur Representative LRay Villafuerte has proposed a companion law to the SIM Registration Act in the Philippines that would protect mobile subscribers from various issues faced with telecommunications companies (telcos). In his House Bill No. 7982, also known as the Mobile Subscribers Protection Act, Villafuerte aims to spare subscribers from poor service.
The SIM Registration Act, officially known as Republic Act (RA) No. 11934, was enacted to protect Filipinos from text scams. Now, Villafuerte wants to address the concerns regarding telco services with his proposed legislation.
Villafuerte stated, “After passing the new SIM registration law to finally stop our cell phone users from falling prey to cybercrimes, it is time for us lawmakers to write a complementary measure, this time to prevent subscribers from being victimized by their own telco providers with below-par services.”
The congressman emphasized the need for government oversight in the telco sector, which he described as an oligopoly. He believes that the state must ensure that telcos provide adequate, affordable, and efficient services to their subscribers. As of July 30, the number of registered SIM users in the country reached 113.969 million, representing 67.83 percent of the estimated 168 million SIMs nationwide.
Villafuerte filed HB No. 7982 alongside Bicol Saro Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan to address the issue of sub-par services inflicted on subscribers by telcos. The bill aims to regulate prices, eliminate expiration dates on prepaid loads, require detailed billing for both prepaid and postpaid subscriptions, and enable full mobile number portability. It also proposes additional improvements, including mobile device insurance for consumers, protection of subscribers’ privacy rights, and restrictions on unsolicited commercial advertisements.
The bill also suggests penalties for telcos found in violation, ranging from fines between P1 million and P10 million, suspension, or revocation of legislative franchises and licenses issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
To protect prepaid subscribers, HB No.7982 prohibits telcos from imposing expiration periods on unused prepaid call and text cards and from forfeiting load credits stored in active prepaid accounts. The bill also mandates telcos to refund prepaid subscribers whose load credits were wrongly forfeited.
Additionally, the bill prohibits the public disclosure of personal user information, including call and text history, without explicit permission or a valid court order. It also states that personal user data cannot be used for marketing or promotional purposes without subscriber consent.
If HB No.7982 is enacted, it would provide significant safeguards for mobile subscribers in the Philippines, ensuring fair and quality services from telcos while holding them accountable for any breaches.
