NTC postpones Metro Manila telephone prefix numbers implementation

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has just implemented a memorandum to defer the migration of 7-digit to 8-digit landline numbers in area code 02 (Greater Manila) from March 2019 to October 2019 instead.

The NTC signed a memorandum order 10-10-2017 last October, stating that telecommunication companies with operating landlines in Metro Manila must have a prefix to the seven-digit landline number. The memorandum was originally set to be implemented this coming March 18, 2019.

According to the public advisory released by the agency, the deferral was done at the request of the banking industry. The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) and Credit Card Association of the Philippines (CCAP) each filed petitions to delay the implementation of the order, stating a couple of reasons such as:

• Reprogramming Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals and supporting network access controllers
• Reprogramming auto-dialers for sales and collection systems
• Reconfiguration of regional applications and channels
• Updating client phone numbers and testing in full prior to migration

The BAP and CCAP initially requested to postpone the implementation of the memorandum to January 2020 however after extensive discussions, the parties have agreed upon October 6, 2019, instead.

Read the NTC’s full statement here.