In a statement, Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian commended the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for the speedy issuance of the Mobile Number Portability Act (MNPA) implementing rules and regulations (IRR), which he described as “consumer-friendly”.
He said that the MNPA IRR was consumer-friendly as it specified the prerequisites for porting, the terms of the time periods for cutover, and the porting process itself.
“With this, mobile number portability is finally within the reach of every Filipino,” said the lawmaker.
Gatchalian, sitting as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, introduced Senate Bill No. 1237, otherwise known as the MNPA, with the primary goal to facilitate the easy movement of subscribers from one service provider to another without losing their existing mobile numbers.
To encourage more consumers to avail of the service, Gatchalian suggested lessening the grounds for rejecting mobile number portability applications in the future.
Among the seven grounds to reject MNPA applications are having outstanding financial obligation with the donor provider, and existence of court order stopping the mobile number porting.
Furthermore, the MNP law, or Republic Act 11202, has given mobile service providers six months to comply with the IRR, which will take effect on July 2.
Subscribers can avail of the service free from fees and charges.
In addition to facing fines of up to one million pesos, the franchise to operate of mobile service providers may be revoked for unjust refusal of MNP for the fifth and subsequent instances.
Philippines is the fourth Southeast Asian country to implement MNPA joining Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.