De Lima files bill to end expiry on telco prepaid load

Just a few days after introducing House Bill No. 9859, or the Student Discount Para Sa Load Act, House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima passed another promising bill. This time, a measure to end expiry on telco prepaid load.

Photo from Congresswoman Leila de Lima's Facebook page

De Lima: Why does the load they purchased and already own have an expiration?

House Bill 9903, or the Prepaid Load Forever Act, is based on Senate Bill 1095 filed by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.

In particular, it seeks to prohibit the imposition of expiration dates on unused prepaid load credits, the forfeiture of active account balances, and the refusal to refund forfeited credits without valid cause.

HB 9903 includes a provision on dormant accounts inactive for at least one year. Providers may deduct PHP 1 daily from accounts inactive for a year until credits run out, and to reclaim and reassign numbers.

Under Joint Memorandum Circular 05‑12‑2017 by the NTC, DICT, and DTI, all prepaid load credits remain valid for one year.

It is unfair and inequitable to put expiration dates on prepaid load credits, as it forces consumers to use up their load or data prematurely to avoid forfeiting them. Lugi sa sistemang ito ang ating mga consumers na napipilitang ubusin ang load para lang hindi masayang, De Lima said.

Malinaw na hindi ito makatarungan sa mga consumers. Bakit may expiration ang paggamit ng load na binili na nila at pagmamay-ari na nila? she asked.

Telecom companies should help protect consumer rights, and must not engage in practices that exploit consumers for the sake of profit. Mahalaga ang serbisyo ng telekomunikasyon lalo na sa mga panahong ito, pero hindi ito lisensya para lamangan at pagsamantalahan ang consumers, De Lima said.

The State may justly and responsibly intervene in the best interests of the people, as this legislation does in safeguarding the assets of millions of Filipino consumers, while supporting the expansion of the digital economy in underserved populations, she added.

Local telco players have yet to comment on this bill.

Via: Bilyonaryo