MANILA – Subscribers of major telco firms PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom in the Greater Metro Manila area will have eight-digit landline numbers starting October this year.
The initiative to migrate from the existing seven-digit format to eight digits is in compliance with National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Memorandum No. 10–10–2017 which orders all telecoms providers in the Metro Manila area to migrate all their customers to eight-digit telephone numbers to address the insufficient number of assignable exchange codes.
In its statement on Wednesday, PLDT announced that its subscribers in Metro Manila, Rizal Province, San Pedro, Laguna, and Bacoor, Cavite that have telephone numbers with area code “02” will migrate to the eight digit format starting Oct. 6, 2019.
“PLDT subscribers and those calling them will have no difficulty adjusting to this number change. All they have to do is add the number ‘8’ at the start of the existing landline number. So, if your existing number is say 123-4567, then it will become 8123-4567,” said PLDT and Smart Public Affairs head Ramon R. Isberto.
“We would like to encourage our subscribers in Metro Manila and other ‘02’ areas to start disseminating their updated numbers to their callers and updating their promotional materials such as business cards, websites, and social media,” he added.
The migration process will start early morning of October 6 -- from 12:01 a.m. until 5 a.m.
Callers from the provinces will only need to do the usual national direct dialing procedure which now includes their Metro Manila contact’s 8 digit number: Dial 0 + Area Code (2) + 8 digits landline number.
Those outside the Philippines will have to do the following: Dial 00 + Country Code (63) + Area Code (2) + 8 digits landline number.
Meanwhile, Globe earlier said that it is implementing the eight-digit landline number in the Greater Metro Manila area to give local banks and credit card companies ample time to prepare.
The NTC issued an advisory, ordering local telecommunication companies to move the migration date to October 6, 2019 from March 18, 2019 after the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) and the Credit Card Association of the Philippines (CCAP) filed their respective petitions to postpone the migration to a later date to provide banks and credit card companies sufficient time to implement the necessary changes to their operations and systems.
“We will make the necessary adjustments when it comes to our internal systems and communication efforts to ensure smooth service continuity for all of our affected customers. Our teams are continuously working closely with the NTC and other telcos to assist affected customers before, during, and after the migration,” Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo stated.
Customers who will still incorrectly dial the old 7-digit number will hear a special announcement, saying the format has been changed to 8 digits.
The company will likewise continue reminding its customers on the upcoming migration in October through all available channels, including SMS, email, and social media. (PR)
