Prepaid load expiry extended to one year

The government has extended to one year from top-up the expiry of prepaid cellphone load to protect consumer rights.

With this, Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Eliseo M. Rio Jr., together with the National Telecommunications Commissioner (NTC) Gamaliel A. Cardoba signed on Wednesday a Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC), amending NTC’s Memorandum Circular No. 03-07-2009, or the Guidelines on Prepaid Loads that cover all prepaid load of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) providers and public telecommunications entities.

Prepaid load of whatever amount will now have an expiration date that will last up to one year from the date of the top-up. This, in turn, will afford subscribers more time to use their prepaid loads.

The only exclusion to the coverage of this JMC will be those prepaid load purchased for promotions and other services with a specific period of use, as approved by DTI

and NTC. “With this circular, the three government agencies can better protect the rights of Filipinos as consumers,” Lopez said.

As of end December 2016, there are around 130 million cellphone subscribers, almost doubling the 75.57 million in 2009 when the carrying cost per subscriber was R3.00 per day. Taking into consideration that more than 90 percent of the costs of the networks are fixed, the carrying cost per subscriber has decreased as the number of subscribers has increased since then, he noted.

Lopez cited the 1987 Constitution, which recognizes the vital role of communication and information in nation-building. As part of a whole-of-government approach, different agencies have their roles to play to fulfill this goal.

NTC promotes consumer welfare by facilitating access to telecommunications services via a sound infrastructure and network. Meanwhile, DICT pushes the development and use of ICT through policies, plans, programs, and guidelines.

DTI’s mandate — under Republic Act No. 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines — is to protect consumers against deceptive, unfair and unconscionable sales acts or practices, and from misleading advertisements and fraudulent sales promotions. (BCM)