Yes, they can track your phone and sim already, but it doesn't provide the amount of data that they will get after this new act. There is still some vagueness in the distinction between tourists and long term visa holders, from what I read they are treated the same which if true would mean that as a foreign national here on a long term vista status you will be required to re-register your sim card every 30 days under this new act. https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/09/palace-sim-registration-act-to-boost-fight-vs-scams/
Err, no. You'll need to register only once if and when you start using a local (Filipino) simcard. Regular tourists (those who visit the country for a few weeks holiday) won't typically get a local simcard, but rather rely on wi-fi internet connections.
I got a sim card yesterday. They just took details of my passport and I was on my way in a few minutes.
Not yet, the only thing that seems certain is that existing sim-cards will need to be registered through an online portal (still to be built) of your service provider. Those providers have already asked the government for a. more time than 180 days and b. to delay the whole thing until the national id-card thingy is fully operational.
Based on observation and conversation, many if not most people in this province do not have a valid ID. In my opinion what will happen is 1 person per family clan will get all the phones registered in their name (20 or 30 if needed). Maybe the person gets an extra 50 or 100 php for helping. Same for the slums and shanty towns, the sari sari store owner can use their info. If something comes up then the excuse of either the account was hacked (already a default for many) or the phone was lost. Still, very little accountability. Furthermore, the cybercrime unit for this province is understaffed and lacking technology to their job. I have met with them, if they can identify a case worthy of going to court, then they send the info to Manilla to find the IP and confirm the identity of the user (even if the person used their real name on social media). If Manilla follows up they will send the info back to Duma. Even the detective agreed that cases outside NCR go to the bottom of the pile with no date to be reviewed. This law, like so many others, simply allows for politicians to feel good and say they did something, then put the responsibility on tlecom companies, and nothing actually changes. Consider- remember the road clearing in 2019 and all the news it has. Where is that now- vendors are right back to being on the roads.
Yes, the gummint can use it to track dissidents, yes, it is really an attack on your privacy, and yes, 155 countries already have it,. mostly autocracies,.... deal wid it. <grin>..
Definitely yet another slippery slope data collection, nothing new there. Is this a left over from the previous administration or the new one? It won't stop the really bad guys doing what they want, however that is not really the intended purpose. UK has no such registration, one or more can be bought in any supermarket etc with no ID requirements. Or on line if you provide any address. Some even say "If I'm not doing anything wrong it doesn't matter". Hard to believe that thought process! Apparently Israel does not require registration? You'd think they would but as they invented Pegasus I imagine they got any base pretty much covered.