NTC clarifies MNP Act now in effect but service not available yet

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) of the Philippines has issued a notice to clarify an ‘erroneous’ announcement that mobile number portability (MNP) will be available from 2 July 2019. In a release, the watchdog said: ‘To clarify, the National Telecommunications Commission would like to inform the public that NTC Memorandum Circular No. 03-06-2019 on Rules and Regulations Implementing Republic Act (RA) No. 11202 otherwise known as the “Mobile Number Portability Act” will indeed take effect on 2 July 2019, 15 days after the IRR was published in a newspaper of general circulation … However, the NTC would like to reiterate that the MNP service will be available by January 2020.’ The regulator went on to explain that RA No. 11202 provides telcos a six-month grace period to implement MNP smoothly.