THE House Committee on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has approved a substitute measure for the proposed No Call and No Text Registration System Act, aimed at protecting mobile phone and email users from unsolicited digital communications.
Camarines Sur Rep. Miguel Luis Villafuerte, the committee chairman, said the panel approved the still unnumbered substitute bill before the sine die adjournment of the 20th Congress. The measure was crafted by a Technical Working Group (TWG) from four similar bills seeking to shield users from spam calls, texts, and emails.
‘The House ICT committee had passed a consolidated bill aimed at protecting consumers from unsolicited voice calls and text messages, giving them the freedom to choose their transactions and guarantee their right to be left alone,’ Villafuerte said.
The TWG merged four proposals into a single measure designed to curb intrusive communications promoting goods, services, and solicitations.
The approved bill has been referred to the House Committee on Appropriations to determine funding requirements before it is submitted to the plenary for final approval.
Under the measure, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) will establish registries for ‘No Calls,’ ‘No Text Messages,’ and ‘No Electronic Mails,’ with strict safeguards to protect users’ identities and personal information. Only phone numbers and email addresses will be accessible in the system.
Access to the registry will require prior registration with the NPC.
The bill also introduces a ‘negative option’ feature, allowing users to opt out of receiving unsolicited calls, texts, or emails. This option must be made available by callers or senders at the start of a call or at the beginning of a message.
Users who are not registered may still manage and limit unsolicited communications through this feature.
The measure defines prohibited communications as hoax, junk, or scam messages, including notices claiming recipients have won prizes in contests they did not join; messages allegedly from relatives abroad requesting load for a ‘new’ roaming number; and messages asking recipients to send personal details to unknown numbers.
Violators may face penalties without prejudice to civil, criminal, or administrative liabilities that may be imposed by the NPC.
The bill allows users to report unwanted calls or messages and register the details of offending individuals, companies, or organizations, making them liable for subsequent violations.
Once a recipient opts out, the caller or sender must immediately cease further communication and refrain from any attempt to persuade the recipient.
The measure does not cover legitimate communications related to billing, collections, or account updates, subject to existing laws and Bangko Sentral (BSP) regulations.