My son will be traveling to the Philippines in August. Can anyone recommend

[pnwmom]

a prepaid phone that works in the Philippines? I read a horror story about someone traveling in Europe with their regular cell phone, and when they came back home there was a bill for over $100K in roaming fees.

And if you have any advice for an American traveler there, I'd appreciate it. He's going to be there for two weeks, visiting with friends.

[enid602]

1. WhatsApp

Both you and your son need to download WhatsApp to your smart phones. You can talk/text/zoom for free. He will get messages as long as he has access to WiFi (hotel, cafes, restaurants, etc.

[pnwmom]

2. Thank you, enid602. Would it also work inside the Philippines, or only with

other people who have WhatsApp?

[enid602]

4. Whatsapp

Works anywhere around the world. South Americans rely almost exclusively on WhatsApp, as it’s free,

[pnwmom]

5. Right, but if he needed to call someone there who didn't have WhatsApp,

how should he call?

[enid602]

6. Whattsapp

Before he leaves, he should download WhatsApp, and ask you to do the same. Immediately invite him to become a contact. His US cellphone cannot make phone calls when he’s outside the Us. Best to invite all friends and relatives in the US before he leaves. When he’s in the Philippines, he can take on Filipino contacts by asking them to invite him. Hope this helps.

[rampartc]

3. phillipines is a big place

i once lived near manila but luzon is a tremendously incredible island, and there are thousands of islands to choose. anyone you are likely to talk to near manila, cebu, or the former us bases will speak english.

cell phones? no problem near the big cities on luzon or cebu, but they are still finding japanese soldiers out there on some of the more primitive islands.

your son? many americans have fallen in love with phillipine women. he can do worse, but immigration is a bear.

i should have stayed, but is marcos jr that much better than trump?

[Pototan]

13. Marcos Jr. is no Trump

He is closer to a moderate Republican, like Bush or Romney.

He's an Internationalist with close ties to the US and the Biden administration.

Duterte, his predecessor was more like Trump.

I have lived here in the Philippines and have been pleasantly surprised by Marcos Jr.

[rampartc]

15. thanks

i was there (by coincidence) for ms aquino's revolution, and again for about 6 months after mt pinotubo. ancient history.

are you navy, pototan?

[Pototan]

16. No. No military service

I am married to a Filipina. I am 71, she is 68. She is part of a family trust that has tracts of land in 3 different locations in the Philippines. The one in Pototan is 10 hectares (25 acres). We built our house on this land. We started about 7 or 8 years ago and finished it 2 years ago.

I'm a 13a visa holder as the spouse of a Filipina. That affords me permanent residency. It is very similar to a green card in America. It gives me all the rights of a Filipino; except I can't own land or vote. I have access to their health care system (Philhealth), I can enter and leave the country without restrictions, and I have a drivers' license.

I am a retired Business Agent for a big trade union in Boston.

[rampartc]

18. you picked a good spot, i think.

things here are going downhill fast.

[Pototan]

17. This may give you a sense of Marcos Jr.

[Bev54]

7. If he has a SIM card you can get a new one there, to make it local, also often you

can purchase a used burner phone in those countries and purchase minutes. Also ask around ex-pats living there to find out cheap ways to phone home. In Thailand we called a different number instead of 0 before the country code and it cost next to nothing for calls home

[Sneederbunk]

8. He should be sure to visit the envelope works in Manila.

[IbogaProject]

9. We have an expat over there

I believe his name in Potan, but I might be missing some letters. He is almost 70 and lives there 50 weeks a year and comes back to Mass for about two weeks every June. https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelHacks/comments/17nyv8a/phone_coverage_in_the_philippines_whats_the_most/

[Pototan]

14. Well, thank you for the shout out

I see you read my posts and you are pretty accurate in what I say. The screen name is Pototan, which is the Philippine city I live in, which is right outside of Iloilo City on the island of Panay.

I go to Boston every year for 2 weeks in April to do my taxes and handle other financial matters. I still have Medicare, so I get a medical checkup and take a blood test. I also catch up with a few friends that are not Trump cultists and eat in some of the fine restaurants in the Boston area.

[Pototan]

10. I have AT&T with a Boston number in the Philippines

and I have added an International Day Pass to my plan. They charge $12 a day for use up to a maximum of $120 a month in addition to your usual fees. My phone works just like I was in Boston. I can call or text and others can call or text me. My reception is fantastic. I usually pay about $225 to $250 a month for my total package, and I've used it every month for 2 years.

Using the phone to call other Filipinos from the Philippines is difficult for me, only because I'm not that tech. savvy.

Depending on your son's carrier, there must be a similar plan for him.

[pnwmom]

11. Thank you!

[Pototan]

12. I can add that

there are no roaming charges and if you have the International Day Plan, your phone will work as if you were in the US from any country in the world and the rate is the same. $12 a day to a max of $120 a month, even if you call back to America every day of the month, it still only costs $120.