Senator Sherwin Gatchalian filed the Prepaid Load Forever Act, which aims to ban the expiry date of prepaid internet and mobile phone load.
Gatchalian said people reply nowadays rely on modern information and communication technology (ICT).
He noted that the load credit expiry policy is unjustified as consumers must consume the load credits.
“The harsh reality in this era of coronavirus pandemic is that we rely on information and communication technologies (ICT) in our daily life. And for those with limited resources, every peso counts,” Gatchalian said.
He added this policy is “anti-consumer” because this kind of service depends on the subscribers’ usage. The senator said that customers should be given a choice on whether to consume all of their load credits.
“To restrict them due to expiration periods is rather anti-consumer. Unlike in other goods that are edible and have efficacy, this kind of commodity depends on the subscribers’ usage, and they should be given the choice whether or not to make full use of the services,” said Gatchalian, who is also the vice-chair of the Senate Economic Affairs Committee.
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Gatchalian files Prepaid Load Forever Act
Senate Bill No. 365 or the Prepaid Load Forever Act covers prepaid cards and electronic loads for services that offer voice, short messaging system (SMS) or text, mobile data, value-added services (VAS), and those loaded to devices that make use of the internet such as tablets, Wi-Fi dongles or mobile hotspots.
Under the Prepaid Load Forever Act, violators would have to pay fines ranging from P100,000 to as much as P2-million and imprisonment of two to six years. It would also immediately revoke the license of businesses that would violate the bill’s provisions.
Currently, Gatchalian said P300 prepaid load has one-year validity while those with higher value have a longer expiration period.
“The ICT devices have played an essential role in dealing with the challenges that have emerged within a socially distanced environment. In continuing our daily grind under the new normal, we’re highly dependent on telecommunication and ICT services,” he said.