Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima has filed House Bill No. 9903 seeking to end the expiration of prepaid load credits, arguing that consumers should not lose access to a service they have already paid for.
The measure would allow prepaid load credits to remain available until they are fully consumed, a change that could affect millions of Filipinos who rely on prepaid mobile and internet services for communication, education, work, and daily transactions.
“In the hopes of maintaining social justice, even every peso that avails us of the ability to communicate in this day and age must be safeguarded,” De Lima said in the explanatory note of the bill.
Under the proposal, prepaid accounts would only be considered dormant after at least one year of inactivity. Once classified as dormant, carriers may deduct P1 per day from the remaining balance until the credits are exhausted.
De Lima said the provision was designed to balance consumer protection with the operational requirements of telecommunications providers. The bill would also allow carriers to reclaim dormant numbers for reallocation while preserving most of the value already purchased by subscribers.
“Subscribers must receive notification of these daily deductions,” she said.
The proposal revives a long-running issue affecting prepaid users, many of whom purchase load in small amounts and use mobile services only when needed. De Lima argued that prepaid credits represent value already paid for by consumers and should remain available for use instead of being automatically lost through expiration.
If enacted, House Bill No. 9903 would prohibit the expiration of prepaid load credits while establishing rules for dormant accounts and subscriber notification, creating new safeguards for consumers who rely on prepaid mobile and internet services.
