Gatchalian lauds PRRD’s signing of Mobile Number Portability Act

By Hannah Torregoza 

Now, you can keep your mobile phone number for life!

This after President Duterte signed into law the Mobile Number Portability Act and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, author of the bill welcomed the move Tuesday.

Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)

“Finally, the cellphone numbers we currently have can become ours for a lifetime,” Gatchalian said.

“Dahil naisabatas na ang Mobile Number Portability Act, hindi na kailangang magpalit pa ng cellphone o mobile number kapag lumipat tayo ng network o kaya kapag lumipat tayo mula prepaid papuntang postpaid at postpaid papuntang prepaid (Now that the Mobile Number Portability Act is a law, there’s no more need to change cellphone numbers even if you switch networks or shift from prepaid to postpaid or vice versa),” he pointed out.

Gatchalian said the signing of the Mobile Number Portability Act before the start of operations of the third telecommunication company, will spur competition and efficiency between telcos and break the duopoly in the telecom industry by removing a potential barrier for subscribers not to patronize the new entrant because they cannot keep the same mobile number.

“I thank President Duterte for signing this landmark legislation and I congratulate everyone who worked tirelessly to make this a reality,” he said.
Congress ratified the measure last November 13, 2018. Duterte signed the measure into law last February 8.

Under the new law, public telecommunications entities (PTEs) are mandated to provide the mobile number portability feature to users for free.

PTEs must be able to transfer subscribers to another PTE or risk facing fines of up to P1-million and the revocation of their franchise.

The Act mandates the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to come up with the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the new law.