There are only three major service providers in the Philippines and some other MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators). Getting a SIM card is quite cheap in this country. Also, if you are a tourist, you don’t depend upon the public Wi-Fi networks as they are very less and not ubiquitous. You can buy a SIM card very easily in the Philippines as they are available everywhere—from airports to general stores and kiosks. If you are new to buying a SIM card and confused about which to buy and avoid, then you have come to the perfect place. In this article, you will get to know the best SIM cards in the Philippines.
Every SIM card provider has its pros and cons, so it is up to you to decide which to pick. Let’s start discussing the best SIM cards for people in the Philippines.
1. Smart Communications
Smart Communications is one of the two leading mobile operators in the country with a customer base of more than 70 million. It operates under three brands, i.e., Smart, Sun Cellular, and Talk ‘N Text. However, the Sun Cellular brand has been dissolved, and its customers have migrated to Smart. Its SIM cards and reloads are practically available at every street corner with a starting price of just 40 PHP. They use an electronic reloading system in which the retailer uses their SIM card to reload their customer’s Smart SIM. Moreover, there is a Smart Bro which is fully dedicated to prepaid data-only services. Smart also offers free tourist SIM cards at every international airport in the country.
The same bonuses and additional packages which the locals enjoy can be added to the tourist SIM as well. To enjoy international roaming, you need to have at least 100 PHP in your main account balance. Be aware that purchasing your preferred roaming package will be costly. To activate roaming, type ROAM<space>ON and send the text to 333 before you leave the Philippines. If you are a prepaid user, voice calls are allowed in only selected countries, but you can use data. When you arrive in your destination country, turn on the mobile data and log on to roam.smart.com.ph to select the appropriate roaming package.
2. Globe Telecom
Globe is the closest rival of Smart in the Philippines. Its 50% shares are owned by Singtel, a Singaporean telecom giant. It serves more than 40 million subscribers in the country and still growing at a steady pace. Most Filipinos have SIM cards of both Smart and Globe to experience the services of both operators. Globe offers a less congested network and hence has faster data speed. Its 4G/LTE network is mostly limited to cities only. Just like Smart, Globe’s SIM cards are also available everywhere. Most new SIM cards are 4G enabled, but it is recommended to check before buying as some vendors still sell the old 3G ones.
Globe prepaid SIM cards come with preloaded 70 MB of data which is valid for 1 week and its initial activity period is 2 months. After the load expires you have 45 days to keep it alive so reload it again before this period gets over. Its reloads are as cheap as 10 PHP. Globe has also introduced free tourist SIM cards in partnership with the National Tourism Promotion Board for its international tourists. These SIM cards are available at all the major international airports in the country. This traveler SIM by Globe comes preloaded with 300 MB of mobile data and unlimited Globe to Globe calling minutes valid for 1 day.
3. DITO Telecommunity
DITO is the third-largest provider of SIM cards in the Philippines. It is relatively very new as it has launched in 2021. Therefore, it is limited to a few cities at the time of writing. Nonetheless, it is expanding at a rapid rate. Its SIM cards are available at partner stores and online as well, such as on Lazada and Shopee. Only 4G and 5G phones are compatible with DITO SIM cards as it operates only on 4G and 5G networks. A DITO SIM card is available for as low as 40 PHP which comes preloaded with 1 GB of data valid for 7 days after the activation of the SIM card. You can manage your DITO account with their mobile app, too.
4. GOMO! (Globe MVNO)
GOMO! is the MVNO in the Philippines that uses the mobile network infrastructure of Globe. The GOMO! SIM cards are launched with the primary objective of providing mobile data without expiration date. One of its initial packages is worth 200 PHP and gets you 30 GB of mobile data without expiry. Another one is worth 499 PHP in which you get 25 GB of data, 100 local calling minutes, and 500 local SMSes, again without any expiration date. SIM cards are available on the official website of GOMO! and in its partner stores like 7-Eleven, Lazada, Ministop, The SM Store, Metromart, and so on. You can use the GOMO! mobile application for buying top-ups.
5. TNT (Smart MVNO)
TNT stands for Talk ‘N Text. It is a brand of Smart Communications meant for the mass market. TNT SIM cards are available wherever Smart SIM cards are. Their packages are different from that of the Smart but most of its combo/mixed packages are similar. More specifically, its packages are primarily designed for data users. There are several packages offered by TNT such as GIGA VIDEO 99 (2 GB data valid for 7 days), GIGA VIDEO 299 (4 GB data valid for 30 days), GIGA VIDEO 399 (6 GB data with 30 days validity), and GIGA VIDEO 499 (8 GB data with 30 days validity). All four packages come with an extra 1 GB for YouTube, iWant, iFlix, NBA, and Cignal Play.