Bongbong going Bonkers

@Enzyte Bob

Imagine if this much effort into legislation went into things that not only were urgent, but also made the lives of Filipinos easier.

smf.

Lmao..theres so much talk about implementing change and getting organised but nothing seems to be moving on the ground....& Yes i'll be a great grandpa by the time any significant change does occur.

Till then its

Hakuna matata

https://ph.yahoo.com/news/reporter-vira … 40798.html

You could well be correct given the speed things are done here. Over 3 years and still no number plates for the bikes. 4 or 5 months for building and fencing permits, all fees paid 8 weeks ago and last week we got the building permit but nothing for the fence and it's half completed. 8 ft high block and rendered fences.

Cheers, Steve.

I wonder how much the fee will be to register a SIMM card, there's sure to be a fee.

Thanks for posting. I do believe SIM registration is just a part of the new digital ID system being advocated by Bongbong, and part of a wider global initiative to introduce a digital ID and monetary system - not just the Philippines.

A few here in other discussions have argued it's not a good thing, the WEF goals etc. due to the lack of privacy and unprecedented control governments will have. I see the pros and cons (BTW I'm not being conspiratorial and the plan is well underway). Sorry, I'm repeating but the ISO 20022 banking system phase 1 starts in November 2022, with "programmable" digital currencies primed to go. SWIFT has already converted.

One third of the world's population remain "unbanked" and the new digital money system will allow people to transfer money on their cell phones, as well perform other banking services. This requires digital ID (the global kind) and cell phone/SIM registration. It also requires wide-range 5G coverage.

There's a push to set up 5G networks in the Philippines as we speak (write). I mentioned previously our guest house on Bantayan Island had a couple engineers stay who set up the towers, with fibre optic cable being laid via Bacolod to Cebu.

To Steve's point - how cooperatertive the Filipinos will be with this initiative, and chaotic the roll-out, will be is anybody's guess. Island-wide 5G coverage will be a challenge for a start. I do think Filipinos however, are motivated by money (and the threat of not having access) while the convenience of instant, cheap money transfers from a cell phone will be irresistible - like elsewhere in the world.

I read that for foreign nationals there are different requirements between tourists and residents.

1. Tourists registration expires after 30 days. But is there a problem with people on tourist visas who stay long term and make use of the 3 years? Constant renewals? Same with Balikbayan.

2. Residents must show ACRi card. Fine, but they do not state SRRV id ( we do not get ACRi cards) As usual they forgot to include SRRV id as acceptable id which has been a problem for some of us.

3. Personal data is given to globe, smart etc. sellers of SIM cards. Will they handle it in a secure manner?

4. Est. 101 million current SIM cards in the Phils that will need to be registered. This is a massive workload for NTC and the telecoms. I suppose it will be online. My experience with telecom web interfaces here has been not so good. It may take years to complete the job; I expect it to be frustrating. Right now i use 1 globe post paid SIM and one prepaid SIM for backup internet. I predict that I will likely throw out the current prepaid and just buy another "clean" one for data. Post paid sims do not need registration.

We have SIM registration over here, and I like it.

It means internet banking is far more secure - If the banking app doesn't see the correct SIM, it give you an F-off tablet. If an unknown SIM is seen, it sends the data to the bank (they know who tried to hack you)

Terrorists used to have an easy time of communication - Much harder for the sods now

Agree Fred but the point is the thousands of starving people here, the unfortunately many uneducated citizens, perhaps focus should be on education and not keeping people suppressed.

The millions upon millions of pesos to implement this system by the telcos and government will ultimately be shouldered by the very people they claim to protect, the ones that can't afford.

I have whinged about it many times that this country doesn't have voice mail while most countries have had for 25/30 years and free. Free here? What does that mean?

Ultimately those that can least afford this change will be made to bear the costs.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Of the 245 countries/territories with territory-bound mobile operators, 185 countries have SIM card registration laws. 13 will collect biometrics (fingerprints, but some will take a face scan too). 51 countries have no registration requirements.

This will probably change in the coming years because more countries want to introduce SIM card registration policies.

I’ll get concerned when they ban VPN and internet phones like Google voice.

Control, it will happen.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

Just saw a video of Deputy Managing Direct of the IMF, Kenji Okamura, talking about the implementation of global digital currency and ID system . He said the two-biggest obstacles are "lack of financial and digital literacy", but these will require other gov policy programs to address. Presumably the banking apps will be user-friendly and intuitive enough for newcomers to use. In these terms, the poor and dispossessed have the most to gain.

Of the Filipinos without a cell phone, most have access to a family member who does.

One advantage will be that many (certainly not all) Filipinos without bank accounts will now have access to banking services, and be able to transact in small amounts without relying on intermediaries.

Former British PM Tony Blair speaking at the IMF said regarding global digital ID's, "Digital ID for me is a very big part of the future. ...Inevitably governments are going to move in this direction - absolutely inevitable".

A side note: The (global) digital ID system will rely on security platform called "Polygon", which was due to roll out this month but been delayed.

[link moderated]

One advantage will be that many (certainly not all) Filipinos without bank accounts will now have access to banking services, and be able to transact in small amounts without relying on intermediaries.
-@gsturdee

That happened here.

Not just actual banking as we know and love it, but also internet based banks that are easy to open with a very small deposit.

Then we have Go-jek and Grab - both started life as ride apps, but soon added food delivery and a lot of other services, including a sort of semi-banking that allows payments for many services and money transfers to other people using the app.

All was made possible because the added layer of security given by registering SIM cards allowed banks and others to open new services that would have been otherwise impossible.

@Fred

Interesting to learn. It makes sense, using technology to optimize financial systems. I used to have to wait for banks to open, wait in queues when I got there, wait for a statement or a cheque book to arrive in the mail, then wait for cheques to clear. Now I can send money from UK to Philippines almost in real-time, and these mechanisms are getting better all the time. There are definite advantages.

The control and privacy aspects are the contentious parts.

Oh Bother. . . .Oh Big Brother . . .On June 8th 1949 George Orwell warned us this was coming.

Bongbongers said the purpose was to stop fraud. It still won't stop throwaway phones. There are many workaround ways.

What's next? Registering email accounts, social media accounts and then ID Tattooing newborns?

Over my dead body will they RFID chip me.

Hopefully it won't come to that, using RFID's and scannable tattoos. Biometric IDs such as facial recognition for social media and urban surveillance systems are already here.

All these "free" social media platforms aren't free, they're data mines - so likely public-private corporations like FB etc. already have our email addresses and other demographic information, for the pleasure of Big Brother.  Will they be used benevolently?

There are some very dystopian predictions and if we are eventually required to have 666 printed on our right hand/forehead etc. we'll know it's all getting very Biblical. Time to get back to church.

However, I'd like to think these technologies can benefit mankind, and as the world gets smaller, so-to-speak,  the underprivileged in theory should have greater access to inclusive (controlled) systems, but better quality of life, and freedom within certain parameters.

The argument regarding what constitutes true freedom I should leave for another time.

Soon we'll know.

`

Collectively, one of the best forum-chats for quite a while.

Social awareness & currency, knowledge, brainpower and

human kindness. Your positive attributes are outstanding.

A free and open, word-wide forum of complete strangers,

if we don't convince folk our world has a chance, zero will.

`

Oh Bother. . . .Oh Big Brother . . .On June 8th 1949 George Orwell warned us this was coming.
Bongbongers said the purpose was to stop fraud.
-@Enzyte Bob

Stop fraud?

I'd like to see that day.

@Enzyte Bob

Hello, 1984 !

I wonder how much the fee will be to register a SIMM card, there's sure to be a fee.
-@FindlayMacD

No fee.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/13/sim-regist … ne-online/

TBH, I'm for it. Unregistered SIM Cards can be used for illegal and nefarious activities.

https://www.globe.com.ph/go/technology/ … .html#gref

https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/22/gatchalian … ts-probed/

As for privacy, I've already accepted that I've already lost it after I applied for an SSN, had a job that required an SSN, applied for credit cards and bank accounts that required an SSN, applied for health insurance that required an SSN and all the many other accounts that I applied for, including a mobile phone, that required an SSN.

So for me personally, my reaction as to how big of an issue my registering my SIM cards in the Philippines is . . . meh. I will go to my mobile phone provider and register asap before another requirement pops up that will require me to get a national ID.

A new law waiting to be signed: Registration of Sim Cards.

Foreign nationals:

(1) Full Name

(2) Nationally

(3) Passport Number

(4) Address in Philippines

(5) Failure to register P100,000 to P1,000,000 fine.

This is not only for foreign nations but for everyone in the Philippines. Filipino's have different requirements. The details for compliance is like everything else in the Philippines, red tape and many hoops to jump through.

For a good explanation go to Youtube and search for: Vlogger Grandpa.

A note to Bongbong, lay off the Bong.
-@Enzyte Bob

HE signed this law Oct 10th.

Have yet to see the fine you mention. I probably just haven't seen/found it.

mb.com.ph/2022/10/10/marcos-signs-sim-registration-act/

Good call FAM, matters little really registering your sim card because they already know everything about you even without registering. All the other cr@p we all go through. My point I raised earlier was simple, focus on the needs of the people and the sad situations that are well and truly overlooked by governments for whose benefit no matter country.

The poor and downtrodden never get a look in while with the right policies they can/will become taxpayers supporting stupid decisions as we do and again matters little the country but OMO the focus should be raising the unfortunate, the poor souls out of their situation to advance this country to be what it was 40 or 50 years ago.

Not Quangos benefitting the few but the betterment of all the great people that live here.

Filipino people have earned their rights and deserve opportunities and not more legislations that will hinder their prosperity. Better policies for people all around the world and not the hip pocket from those voted into power.

Maybe deported now or mildly harassed with a succinct warning to shut my mouth while I employ 10 great locals more than happy to work for me.

Cheers, Steve.

One advantage will be that many (certainly not all) Filipinos without bank accounts will now have access to banking services, and be able to transact in small amounts without relying on intermediaries.

-@gsturdee

All of my employees now have GCash. Sometimes they ask that their pay be deposited to their GCash accounts. They like the convenience when it comes to paying bills and sending money. They even mentioned that they wished they had applied for this sooner than when the pandemic started.

I think it's cheaper to send money through GCash than through remittance centers like Palawan and MLhuillier. No fees when it's GCash to GCash transfer. Another advantage: When family members ask for money to pay for utilities or bills, they might pad it or they might actually use the money for something else. But with GCash, you can pay the bill directly with just the account number and the amount.

When a government passes a law to protect their honest citizens against 1% of possible fraudsters by encumbering the honest 99%.

That 1% will not abide or be affected and will have access up the Wazoo of unregistered sim cards especially in the Philippines.

I never saw a law passed that would give more freedom to it's citizens.

Some stupid bills are aimed in the wrong direction for the few.

OMO (there it is again Bob)

Cheers Steve.

@Enzyte Bob
Hello, 1984 !
-@kristopherryanwatson

Are you referring to George Orwell's novel?

I read the book some 30 years ago. I think it's too far fetched to suggest that the government's requiring the registering of a SIM cards as a heralding of the start of a society where ordinary people lead meaningless lives because one totalitarian regime dictates and controls what people say or do, monitoring their movements, including their facial expressions, using 24/7 cameras placed almost everywhere, including their homes, even bathrooms, where non adherence to rules or even just a hint of self identity or expression is surveilled and then quashed through brainwashing, torture or death, and where in the end the main character ends up betraying his girlfriend to the Party and the girlfriend did the same because they were tortured.

You have a choice - the same one that Indonesia faced a while ago.

You can have secure banking, criminal activity made more difficult, and terrorist scumbags watched - or you can have the freedom to get your bank account far more easily hacked but your paranoia gets a great boost.

Yes, of course you can be traced and all that crap, but who the hell is going to do so with a limited budget when there are real criminals to catch?

It's also true the NSA and GCHQ do that stuff to ordinary people, but that's only in civilised, free countries where they can afford to conduct mass surveillance on everybody.

I'll go with the secure banking where no bugger can get near my account or anything else without my ID card and a fingerprint. I honestly don't give a flying rats about the government's intel people or the cops because they can't afford to check up on what I had for breakfast this morning or how many times I farted in bed last night.

@Enzyte Bob
Hello, 1984 !
-@kristopherryanwatson
Are you referring to George Orwell's novel?

I read the book some 30 years ago. I think it's too far fetched to suggest that the government's requiring the registering of a SIM cards as a heralding of the start of a society where ordinary people lead meaningless lives because one totalitarian regime dictates and controls what people say or do, monitoring their movements, including their facial expressions, using 24/7 cameras placed almost everywhere, including their homes, even bathrooms, where non adherence to rules or even just a hint of self identity or expression is surveilled and then quashed through brainwashing, torture or death, and where in the end the main character ends up betraying his girlfriend to the Party and the girlfriend did the same because they were tortured.
-@FilAmericanMom

Totally agree FAM, and see the benefit,  however allow me to point out that a lot of what you describe is already in place and being used on citizens in a certain large Asian country to the north. So it can happen, and we must all remain vigilant.