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Mobile Number Portability in the Philippines: why a prefix can lie

Updated 3 Sep 2026 · 2 min read

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) lets a subscriber move from one network to another, or from prepaid to postpaid within a network, and keep the same eleven-digit number. Republic Act 11202 made it law in February 2019, and the service went live on 30 September 2021 through a shared clearing house run by the three operators.

What it means for “what network is this number”

Before MNP, the prefix was the network. After MNP, the prefix is the network that issued the number. A 0917 number is still Globe-issued, but its owner may be on Smart or DITO today. Every answer on this site is the issuing network, which is correct for the large majority of numbers that have never been ported; for a live check use a load app, described in how to check a number’s network.

How porting works

1. You apply with the network you are moving to (the “recipient”), with a valid ID and your current SIM.
2. The recipient checks eligibility with your current network: the number must be active for at least 60 days, with no unpaid postpaid balance and no pending port.
3. Porting is free. The transfer typically completes within a few days; you get a new SIM from the recipient network with your old number.
4. Your prefix does not change. Only the network behind it does.

What porting does not do

• It does not carry your load balance or unused promos. Use them up first.
• It does not move your GCash or Maya account automatically, but both are tied to the number, so they keep working after you update the SIM in the app.
• It does not change your SIM registration status; the recipient network registers the new SIM under RA 11934.

Why this matters for promos

On-net promos check the actual network, not the prefix. If your friend ported a 0917 number to Smart, your Globe-to-Globe promo will not cover them any more, even though the number still “looks” Globe. When a promo charges you unexpectedly, porting is the usual reason.