The country code for the Philippines is 63. The area code for Metro Manila is 2.
The three major telecommunications companies are Globe Telecom, PLDT (wireless subsidiary Smart Communications for mobile phones) and Sun Cellular; each of them operates it's own network (GSM 900/1800). If you are visiting the Philippines, it is wise to check your mobile carrier to see if they offer international roaming for your plan and if so, which of the three carriers do they partner with; also, you will need at least a dualband GSM mobile phone.
Pre-paid SIM cards of these networks are easy to acquire and cost as low as P30 (approximately 70 US cents) and provide a cheap alternative to (usually) expensive roaming charges on home networks. If your unit is locked to your home service provider, cellphone repair shops in various malls have ways of unlocking. If you don't have a phone to begin with, a complete pre-paid kit with phone and SIM could be had for as low as 2 to 3 thousand pesos (US$40 to 60). Note that the phones that come with these kits would usually be locked to the local network provider. You would also need to have it unlocked before leaving if you plan on using it back home.
GSM mobile phones are in wide use all over the country, however, iDEN network is also somewhat present (service is provided by Next Mobile, a subsidiary of Nextel). 3G technology is also available through Globe and Smart. In most urban locations and many resorts, cell phone service will be available. The usual cost of an international long-distance call to the United States, Europe and other major countries is 40 US cents per minute (approximately 20 pesos), or 30 US cents for Sun Cellular, but at the expense of the worse network coverage. All three operators, however, often have promotions with discounted call rates to selected countries, so it's wise to check it via operators' websites, or (easier) just by telling the dealer to what countries are you going to call, before choosing a SIM. National calls range from 6.50 to 7.50 pesos (approximately 13 to 16 US cents) per minute. Text messages may cost as low as 50 centavos (a little over 1 US cent) and the Philippines is usually tagged as the "texting capital of the world". On many plans, you also get some (significant) number of free SMS each time you reload your SIM. This does not apply to international SMS, and the usual cost for them is 15 peso for Globe / Smart and 10 peso for Sun Cellular (again, sometimes there are promotions for selected countries with rates as low as 1 peso).
Reloading pre-paid SIMs is a breeze. Electronic Load (E-Load) stations are everywhere from small corner stores to the large malls where you just give your mobile phone number and the amount you wish to load (Globe, Smart and Sun each have their load denominations to choose from for E-loading). If you have a friend using the same mobile operator as you, you can load as little as a few pesos by letting him/her pass on some of his/her load to you and if you need hundreds of pesos worth of load, you can purchase pre-paid cards which are available in denominations of 300 and 500 pesos (approximately US$7 and 12 respectively).
Due to the wide use of mobile phones, pay phones are increasingly becoming obsolete. Some malls and public places still do have them and they usually come in either the coin or card operated variety. Globe and PLDT are the usual operators. Phone cards are usually sold by shops which sell cellphone pre-paid loads and cards. Note that phone cards of one company can not be used with the other company's card operated phones.
Internet access areas of broadband speeds are plentiful in city malls, much less so outside the cities, but are growing at a rapid pace. Some of these shops offer an alternative to the traditional overseas phone calls by use of their VOIP networks. Internet surfing rates depend primarily on where you surf and the medium used (e.g. WiFi or wired). Internet services offered by hotels and shopping malls are expensive and can go up to P200/hour (approximately US$5) but neighbourhood cafes can be as cheap as P15/hour (approximately US$0.35). WiFi service in the Philippines is provided by Airborneaccess.net and WiZ is likely to cost P100 (approximately US$2) for up to an hour. Coffee shops like Starbucks and Seattle's Best as well as malls usually carry WiFi service. Certain areas may carry free WiFi. GPRS/3G from Globe or Smart is also a viable alternative, especially in remote locations, with the usual rate about P10/30 minutes. Consider keeping up with the latest trends with expat yahoo and web groups such as Philippines Living.
Apart from the Philippine postal service, FedEx, UPS, and DHL courier services are also available. Local couriers such as LBC and Aboitiz are also available.
Pre-paid SIM cards of these networks are easy to acquire and cost as low as P30 (approximately 70 US cents) and provide a cheap alternative to (usually) expensive roaming charges on home networks. If your unit is locked to your home service provider, cellphone repair shops in various malls have ways of unlocking. If you don't have a phone to begin with, a complete pre-paid kit with phone and SIM could be had for as low as 2 to 3 thousand pesos (US$40 to 60). Note that the phones that come with these kits would usually be locked to the local network provider. You would also need to have it unlocked before leaving if you plan on using it back home.
GSM mobile phones are in wide use all over the country, however, iDEN network is also somewhat present (service is provided by Next Mobile, a subsidiary of Nextel). 3G technology is also available through Globe and Smart. In most urban locations and many resorts, cell phone service will be available. The usual cost of an international long-distance call to the United States, Europe and other major countries is 40 US cents per minute (approximately 20 pesos), or 30 US cents for Sun Cellular, but at the expense of the worse network coverage. All three operators, however, often have promotions with discounted call rates to selected countries, so it's wise to check it via operators' websites, or (easier) just by telling the dealer to what countries are you going to call, before choosing a SIM. National calls range from 6.50 to 7.50 pesos (approximately 13 to 16 US cents) per minute. Text messages may cost as low as 50 centavos (a little over 1 US cent) and the Philippines is usually tagged as the "texting capital of the world". On many plans, you also get some (significant) number of free SMS each time you reload your SIM. This does not apply to international SMS, and the usual cost for them is 15 peso for Globe / Smart and 10 peso for Sun Cellular (again, sometimes there are promotions for selected countries with rates as low as 1 peso).Reloading pre-paid SIMs is a breeze. Electronic Load (E-Load) stations are everywhere from small corner stores to the large malls where you just give your mobile phone number and the amount you wish to load (Globe, Smart and Sun each have their load denominations to choose from for E-loading). If you have a friend using the same mobile operator as you, you can load as little as a few pesos by letting him/her pass on some of his/her load to you and if you need hundreds of pesos worth of load, you can purchase pre-paid cards which are available in denominations of 300 and 500 pesos (approximately US$7 and 12 respectively).
Due to the wide use of mobile phones, pay phones are increasingly becoming obsolete. Some malls and public places still do have them and they usually come in either the coin or card operated variety. Globe and PLDT are the usual operators. Phone cards are usually sold by shops which sell cellphone pre-paid loads and cards. Note that phone cards of one company can not be used with the other company's card operated phones.
Internet access areas of broadband speeds are plentiful in city malls, much less so outside the cities, but are growing at a rapid pace. Some of these shops offer an alternative to the traditional overseas phone calls by use of their VOIP networks. Internet surfing rates depend primarily on where you surf and the medium used (e.g. WiFi or wired). Internet services offered by hotels and shopping malls are expensive and can go up to P200/hour (approximately US$5) but neighbourhood cafes can be as cheap as P15/hour (approximately US$0.35). WiFi service in the Philippines is provided by Airborneaccess.net and WiZ is likely to cost P100 (approximately US$2) for up to an hour. Coffee shops like Starbucks and Seattle's Best as well as malls usually carry WiFi service. Certain areas may carry free WiFi. GPRS/3G from Globe or Smart is also a viable alternative, especially in remote locations, with the usual rate about P10/30 minutes. Consider keeping up with the latest trends with expat yahoo and web groups such as Philippines Living.Apart from the Philippine postal service, FedEx, UPS, and DHL courier services are also available. Local couriers such as LBC and Aboitiz are also available.
No comments:
Post a Comment