MANILA — Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima has filed a measure that seeks to remove expiration dates on unused prepaid load and mobile data credits, saying the current system places consumers at a disadvantage.

Under the proposed Prepaid Load Forever Act, telecommunications companies would be prohibited from imposing expiration dates on unused prepaid load credits and from forfeiting unused credits in active accounts without a valid reason.

The bill aims to amend the existing setup, which provides a one-year validity period for prepaid load credits.

De Lima said consumers are unfairly pressured to consume their load and data allocations before they expire.

“It is unfair and inequitable to put expiration dates on prepaid load credits, as it forces consumers to use up their load or data prematurely to avoid forfeiting them. Lugi sa sistemang ito ang ating mga consumers na napipilitang ubusin ang load para lang hindi masayang,” de Lima said.

The proposed measure also includes a provision addressing dormant SIM cards.

Under the bill, telecommunications providers would be allowed to deduct P1 per day from accounts that have remained completely inactive for one year. The deductions would continue until the remaining load credits are fully consumed.

The proposal would also allow telco providers to reclaim and reassign mobile numbers associated with inactive accounts.

The bill follows another measure filed by De Lima seeking a 20 percent discount on load, text, call, and internet services for students.

If enacted, the Prepaid Load Forever Act would establish a no-expiry policy for prepaid load and data credits while providing a mechanism for managing inactive subscriber accounts.