Philippines telcos want direct access to national ID database for SIM registration

In the wake of scam SMS proliferation in the Philippines, enabled largely by improperly identified phone numbers, a major telecoms company in the country, Globe Telecom, has suggested that telcos be allowed full access to the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) database to ensure proper registration of SIM cards.

The Filipino government, through the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, recently called on telcos to strictly respect SIM card requirements, saying there was a surge in the circulation of pre-registered SIM cards.

The company says that although there are existing measures to combat cybersecurity threats and other criminal activities bedevilling the telecoms sector, access to the official national ID database for SIM registration will lead to a situation where fraudsters are unable to beat the system even as they devise new strategies daily, according to Philstar.

Presently, there is no official ID database through which SIM card registrants are identified in the Philippines in real time, a scenario that makes the business of pre-registered SIM cards flourish. Pre-registered SIM cards are linked to existing IDs which do not belong to the individual buying the SIM.

Speaking for Globe, its counsel, Froilan Castelo, said the company remains committed to respecting the provisions of the SIM Card Registration Act, through actions that include “accepting only the required identification cards, investing in software to help in reading the text on identification cards and facial recognition to ensure these are real people.”

These measures notwithstanding, Castelo said there is need for anyone one presenting an ID card to have their identity verified from a central ID database in order to be 100 percent sure. That way, telcos will be able to identify if a national ID card presented is stolen or fake.

Need for stronger ID authentication measures

This call from Globe comes at a time the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) is also hammering on the need for businesses and organizations to implement robust authentication protocols to curb wanton cybercriminality in the country.

According to Daily Tribune, DICT sent out this call through its Undersecretary for Infostructure Management, Cybersecurity, and Upskilling, Jeffrey Ian Dy, in a recent interview.

He expressed worries about the ineffective implementation of the SIM Card Registration Act which, he said, is at the origin of several digital security breaches in the country. He noted that apart from telcos being unable to verify if a national ID card presented to them is original, there is also the problem of “proxy registration.”

The official also spoke about other cybersecurity issues beyond SIM cards, mentioning the issue of IMSI catchers (surveillance tools used to intercept mobile phone traffic) as well as hacking attacks targeting government websites. Dy added that there are an average one million hacking attempts on government websites daily.

Cybersecurity vital for digital transformation drive

Having a stronger cybersecurity architecture, the government believes, is necessary for the country’s digital transformation journey which continues to register successes.

One such recent stride is the launch of eGov PH app, a digital government application, by the provincial government of Camiguin, aimed at facilitating the delivery of public services, Philippine Information Agency reports.

The application has been launched thanks to collaboration from the DICT.

The Philippines has, meanwhile, announced a rebrand of its national ID as well as incentives in order to encourage adoption, as the country plans to complete the ID registration process by the end of this year.

The DICT says it is also looking forward to launching the national digital ID and other related services in the course of this year, as part of the government’s ongoing digital transformation efforts.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  identity verification  |  PhilID  |  Philippines  |  SIM card registration  |  telecom