DICT likely to extend SIM list-up for 120 more days

AN EXTENSION of the SIM Card registration period loomed very likely as more than 40 percent of cell phone users in the country still have to comply with the list-up with only four days left in the original time frame set by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

April 26 SIM registration deadline despite calls from telcos to give their respective customers more time to register.

MIAA discloses changes in airline stations at NAIA

n By JOEL E. ZURBANO

THE Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has announced that flights of Jeju Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Thai Airways and Gulf Air will start at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on June

This is part of the MIAA’s Schedule and Terminal Assignment Rationalization (STAR) program to optimize the capacity of the four NAIA terminals.

The Philippine Airlines, on the other hand, will begin operating all its international flights in Terminal 1 come June 16.

Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Japan, China Southern Airlines, Scoot, and Starlux Airlines were reassigned last April 16 from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3, while PAL flights to and from Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, and Phnom Penh were transferred to Terminal 1 on the same day.

“We are satisfied with how well these carriers transitioned. This is a result of our months of coordination with the airlines and ground handlers,” MIAA general manager Cesar Chiong said, adding that only two percent of the passengers were misrouted—28 in Terminal 1 and 43 in Terminal 2—while none were offloaded as a result of the changes.

To avoid problems about passengers going to the wrong terminals, the MIAA deployed free shuttles in Terminals 1 and 2.

The ground handlers, on the other hand, ensured presence of their personnel at the departure gates to assist the passengers.

“Sa Lunes, magkakaroon kami ng pagpupulong upang makuha ang mga statistics kung ilan na ang nakapagparehistro… Matingnan kung ano ang talaga ‘yung mga problema. Bakit may ilan na hindi pa rin nakakapagparehistro?” Uy said.

“Kahit mag-extend tayo, kung hindi natin ma-identify ‘yung gap… Hindi magiging effective ‘yung extension… Dapat pag-aralang mabuti, tingnan ang problema,” he said.

The DICT chief hinted at making adjustments in the registration rules to make it easier for the SIM card holders to register.

As of April 20, 2023, a total of 76,927,923 subscribers have registered their SIMs, equivalent to about 45 percent of the 168 million subscribers nationwide.