Legarda’s SULIT Load Act pushes cheaper calls, texts, non-expiring load

MANILA, Philippines – A bill seeking to lower the default rates for prepaid calls and text messages to more affordable levels in line with advances in telecommunications technology, network capacity, and consumer use has been filed in the Senate. The measure also aims to protect subscribers from unexpected load deductions, unclear promo rates, and the expiration or loss of prepaid load they have already purchased.

Senator Loren Legarda said the proposed SULIT Load Act acknowledges that although telecommunications technology has significantly improved and promos have made calls, texts, and mobile data more affordable, regular out-of-promo rates remain relatively high for many prepaid users.

“Napakalaki na ng ipinagbago ng telecommunications technology. Mas mabilis ang networks, mas malaki ang volume ng calls, texts, at data, at napakarami nang murang promo. Kaya makatuwiran lamang na tanungin: Bakit ang regular na singil sa text at tawag ay parang naiwan pa rin sa nakaraan? Panahon nang iayon ang presyo sa teknolohiya at realidad ngayon,” Legarda said.

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Under the measure, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), together with the DICT, DTI, and Philippine Competition Commission, would be required to review and rationalize regular prepaid rates for SMS, mobile calls, data, and mobile-to-landline calls based on actual costs, competition, prevailing promo rates, consumer usage, and regional pricing.

Pending the completion of that review, the bill proposes interim maximum default rates of ₱0.50 per SMS, ₱2.00 per minute for ordinary domestic mobile calls, and ₱3.00 per minute for mobile-to-landline calls.

Legarda said the reform is long overdue because regular load should not function as an expensive fallback whenever a subscriber forgets to register for a promo, exhausts an allocation, loses internet access, or needs to make an urgent call.

“Kung kaya nang magbigay ng napakamurang calls, texts, at data sa iba’t ibang promo, dapat may makatwirang presyo rin para sa ordinaryong paggamit. Hindi dapat napaparusahan ang isang subscriber dahil lang naubos ang promo niya o kailangan niyang tumawag agad,” she said.

The bill would also require clearer pricing of prepaid promos. Telecommunications providers would have to disclose, where applicable, the effective cost per gigabyte of data, call minute, SMS, and landline call minute, together with the promo’s total price, validity period, restrictions, and treatment of unused allocations.

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