A measure has been filed in the House of Representatives seeking to prohibit telecommunications companies from imposing expiration dates on prepaid load credits, in a bid to protect consumers from losing unused mobile services.
House Bill 9903, or the proposed Prepaid Load Forever Act, would bar telcos from expiring prepaid credits, forfeiting unused load in active accounts, and refusing refunds without valid justification.
The bill was filed by Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, who adopted the proposal of Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
De Lima said the current system is unfair to consumers who are often forced to consume load or data quickly to avoid losing their purchased credits.
“It is unfair and inequitable to put expiration dates on prepaid load credits,” she said, noting that millions of users effectively lose value due to current expiration policies.
Under existing rules set by the National Telecommunications Commission, Department of Information and Communications Technology, and Department of Trade and Industry, prepaid load is typically subject to a one-year validity period regardless of amount.
The proposal seeks to overhaul this framework, arguing that prepaid credits are consumer property that should not be arbitrarily time-limited.
However, the bill introduces a provision for dormant accounts, allowing telcos to deduct P1 per day from accounts inactive for at least one year until credits are exhausted, a mechanism intended to balance consumer protection with network management needs.
De Lima said telecommunications services should not be used as a profit mechanism that disadvantages users, especially in an increasingly digital economy.
The measure also emphasizes the State’s role in regulating industry practices to safeguard consumer rights while supporting broader access to digital services.
In a related move, De Lima has also filed a separate bill seeking a 20-percent discount on mobile services for students across basic, technical-vocational, and higher education levels.