Here’s something citizens of the ‘Text Capital of the World’ will surely love: Prepaid loads expiration will be extended to one year.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) has signed on Wednesday, December 20, 2017 a new Joint Memorandum Circular (#JMC) to amend NTC’s Memorandum Circular No. 03-07-2009 or the Guidelines on Prepaid Loads.
The amended guidelines now extend the expiration date of all prepaid loads of ICT providers and public telecommunications entities to one year from the date of top-up. Such move affords subscribers more time to use their prepaid loads. Exclusion to this coverage will only be limited to those prepaid loads purchased for promotions and other services with a specific period of use, as approved by DTI and NTC.
The circular was signed Wednesday by DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, DICT Officer-in-Charge Eliseo Rio Jr., and NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba.
Lopez said the JMC will lengthen the life of prepaid loads regardless of amount.
The JMC will be implemented 15 days upon publication. The agencies target to publish the new JMC on Thursday.
“It’s our way to protect the rights of our consumers in the telecommunications industry,” said Lopez.
Currently, a prepaid load can be extended up to 120 days depending on its amount.
On the other hand, Rio assured that the government has met and discussed with the telco players in coming up with the JMC.
Cordoba mentioned that postpaid users comprised only 3.0 percent of the total mobile services’ subscribers. (By Kris Crismundo, PNA)
