Manila: The House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously passed on third and final reading House Bill (HB) 87 aimed at enabling Filipinos to get the full value for internet services they paid for despite arbitrary expiration periods.

According to Philippines News Agency, HB 87, or the Roll-Over Internet bill, mandates internet service providers (ISPs) to convert all unused and accumulated data of users into rebates that the internet consumer may use for rebates and other purposes, extending the expiration period of internet data purchased.

Under the bill, the unused data allocation of subscribers who avail of internet data package promo offers shall be rolled over and accumulated until the end of the year, on the condition that the subscriber renews the subscription right after the lapse of the offer duration. The bill further provides that unused data allocation for a year may be converted as rebates, which may be used as payment for internet service in the succeeding year.

Users who still have unused data allocation but do not renew their subscriptions within five days from the lapse of the promo period shall result in 20 percent reduction until the subscription is renewed. If the user fails to renew his or her subscription after five days, the unused data allocation shall be considered consumed.

Cavite Representatives Ramon Jolo Revilla III and Lani Mercado-Revilla and Agimat Party-list Rep. Bryan Revilla pushed for the bill's passage to correct what they considered as the 'fundamentally unfair' situation where internet service subscribers lose unused data at the end of a given period. They said the measure 'strengthens digital inclusion, especially for students, remote workers, small business owners, and families who are now more reliant than ever on online platforms.'