Over 52M SIMs now registered — DICT

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27) — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has logged more than 52 million registered SIM card users, less than a third of active subscribers with only 30 days left until the deadline.

“We have registered about 30%. Nasa 52.3 million SIM registrants na tayo ngayon (We’re already at 52.3 million SIM registrants) out of 169 million active users,” DICT Usec Anna Mae Lamentillo told CNN Philippines’ Newsroom Ngayon on Monday.

In a separate statement, the DICT disclosed the breakdown:

DITO - 3,963,358

Globe - 21,682,365

Smart - 26,734,423

The official said the DICT does not really expect to hit 100% as those SIM cards being used for mobile phone-aided criminal activities would surely be deactivated.

“Malalaman natin after the period of registration kung ilan ba talaga ang nagagamit for legitimate and illegitimate purposes,” she said.

[Translation: We will know after the period of registration how many are actually used for legitimate and illegitimate purposes.]

Lamentillo urged subscribers to register their SIM cards to avoid deactivation after the April 26 deadline.