President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. on Monday, Oct. 10, officially signed the proposed Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act into law, marking the first proposed bill he signed as the country's chief executive.

The RA 1934 or Act requiring the registration of subscriber identity of module cards will now require the ownership of SIM cards.

Under the new law, all public telecommunications entities (PTE) or authorized sellers shall require users to present an original copy of any valid government identification (ID) with a photo to verify their identity before selling SIM cards.

All existing mobile users with prepaid SIM cards are likewise required to register with telcos within 180 days. Failure to register within the prescribed period will result in deactivation.

The telecoms are mandated to submit a verified list of subscribers to the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) within 30 days.

Those telecoms who will violate any provisions of the law will face penalties of fines ranging from Php 300,000 to Php 1,000,000.

In a statement shared on his Facebook page, House Speaker Martin Romualdez said the signing of the proposed bill into law signified that the Marcos administration gives importance to protecting Filipino against "cyber criminals" and "online scammers".

"Sa pamamagitan ng batas na ito, mas mabibigyan natin ng proteksyon ang mga Pilipino laban sa mga masasamang gawain na gamit ang cellphones at iba pang electronic communication devices," he said.

"Muli, maraming salamat Pangulong Bongbong Marcos! Mabuhay po kayo!" Romualdez added.

The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS), meanwhile, said Marcos assured that his administration will protect the personal information of Filipinos.

The SIM Card Registration Act is a consolidated bill from the two chambers of Congress, House Bill 14 and Senate Bill No. 310.