# Philippines eSIM — Instant Data from $3.00/GB Jetogo eSIM data plans for Philippines (ISO PH). ## Pricing - Price per GB: $3.00 - Pricing tier: 3 - Live price per GB (eSIMAccess-cached): $3.00 ### Estimated cost by usage - Light traveler (2 GB): $6.00 - Average traveler (6 GB): $18.00 - Heavy traveler (15 GB): $45.00 ## Network & carriers - Globe — 5G - SMART — 5G - Data exit route: United Kingdom — this is where your data traffic breaks out to the internet; it does not affect coverage or speed in-country. - Hotspot/tethering: unlimited. Speed limit: none. Activation: instant, auto-connects on arrival. ## Major cities - Manila — local time 2026-08-25T09:43:47+08:00, sunrise 2026-08-24T21:43:22.701Z / sunset 2026-08-25T10:12:57.870Z - Cebu City — local time 2026-08-25T09:43:47+08:00, sunrise 2026-08-24T21:35:17.084Z / sunset 2026-08-25T09:57:54.771Z - Davao City — local time 2026-08-25T09:43:47+08:00, sunrise 2026-08-24T21:31:29.487Z / sunset 2026-08-25T09:49:11.474Z - Boracay — local time 2026-08-25T09:43:47+08:00, sunrise 2026-08-24T21:41:47.113Z / sunset 2026-08-25T10:07:04.331Z - Puerto Princesa — local time 2026-08-25T09:43:47+08:00, sunrise 2026-08-24T21:56:20.853Z / sunset 2026-08-25T10:18:03.048Z Currency: PHP — 1 USD ≈ 61.719 PHP (as of 2026-08-24). ## Data situation The Philippines ranks 55th cheapest out of 237 countries and territories in the Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing study, with locals paying roughly $0.59 per gigabyte on average — a mid-tier price shaped by competition between Globe Telecom, Smart Communications (PLDT), and newer entrant DITO. The government's Free Wi-Fi for All program, run by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), has activated nearly 18,000 free public hotspots nationwide covering parks, government offices, and public airports and seaports, though speed and reliability vary a lot by site. Shopping malls are a more consistent free option for tourists: SM Supermalls and Ayala Malls locations both offer complimentary Wi-Fi after a quick phone-number registration, typically capped at one to two hours of access per day. Paid Wi-Fi as a standalone product is uncommon in tourist areas — it's usually bundled free with a hotel stay, café purchase, or mall visit rather than sold outright, so most travelers still lean on cellular data once they leave a hotspot. - Local price per GB: $0.59/GB average for locals (rank 55 of 237 countries, cable.co.uk / BestBroadbandDeals Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing study) - Free Wi-Fi: Widely available but inconsistent — the government's Free Wi-Fi for All program has activated nearly 18,000 free public hotspots nationwide (parks, government offices, airports, seaports), and SM Supermalls and Ayala Malls both offer free Wi-Fi after a quick phone-number registration, usually capped at one to two hours. - Paid Wi-Fi: Rare as a standalone paid product for tourists — commercial Wi-Fi is typically bundled free with a hotel stay, café purchase, or mall visit rather than sold separately. ## International airports - MNL — Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Manila (Pasay)) — https://newnaia.com.ph/ - CEB — Mactan-Cebu International Airport (Cebu City/Lapu-Lapu City) — https://mciaa.gov.ph/ - CRK — Clark International Airport (Mabalacat) — https://ciac.gov.ph/ ### Travel advisories - UK FCDO: FCDO advises against all travel to parts of this country. ## Local SIM / phone number situation Since Republic Act 11934 (the SIM Registration Act) took effect in December 2022, every SIM sold in the Philippines — including tourist SIMs — must be registered, and carriers verify identity via a selfie/ID check in the carrier's app or in person. Foreign tourists specifically must present a passport, proof of a Philippine address, and a return ticket showing their departure date; SIMs registered this way are only valid for 30 days and automatically deactivate on expiry, so longer trips require re-registration. None of this applies to a Jetogo eSIM installed before departure, since it isn't a Philippine-carrier SIM subject to local registration. Where a physical SIM is still wanted, Smart and Globe run booths in NAIA's arrival halls across Terminals 1-3, open 24 hours, though travelers commonly report 30-60 minute queues during busy periods. - KYC requirements: Passport, proof of a Philippine address, and a return ticket showing departure date are required for any tourist SIM registration under the SIM Registration Act (RA 11934), verified via a selfie/ID check in the carrier's app or in-store; tourist-registered SIMs auto-expire after 30 days. None of this applies to a pre-installed international eSIM, which isn't a Philippine-carrier SIM. - Wait time: Same-day at major airports but not instant — Smart and Globe booths at NAIA operate 24 hours, but travelers commonly report 30-60 minute queues during peak arrival periods. - Jetogo Local SIM Hassle Score: 5/10 Wi-Fi calling lets you keep receiving calls and texts on your home phone number over an internet connection — including the data connection from your Jetogo eSIM — without needing a local SIM or number. Turn it on in your phone's settings before you travel (Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling on iPhone, or Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi Calling on Android), and your carrier will route calls to your regular number through data instead of a local cell signal, so friends and family can reach you exactly as they always have. ## Practical travel info - Power sockets: types A, B, C — 220V, 60Hz - No alternative plugs will also fit in type A sockets - Type A plugs will also fit in type B sockets - Type E and F plugs will also fit in type C sockets - Emergency numbers: police 911, ambulance 911, fire 911 - Calling code: +63 - Driving side: right - Tipping: Generally not expected — but appreciated _Data via CountryWise._ ## FAQ **Do I need a passport or a return ticket to use my Jetogo eSIM in the Philippines?** No. The Philippines' SIM Registration Act (RA 11934) requires foreign tourists buying a local SIM to show a passport, proof of a Philippine address, and a return ticket, with the SIM auto-expiring after 30 days. Since your Jetogo eSIM is installed before you fly, it isn't a Philippine-carrier SIM and isn't subject to that in-country registration process. **Does my Jetogo eSIM work on Boracay, Palawan, and other Philippine islands?** Yes. Globe and Smart both maintain 4G coverage across the country's major tourist islands, including Boracay, Palawan (El Nido and Puerto Princesa), Cebu, and Bohol, with populated areas and resort zones generally well covered — though signal can weaken in remote, mountainous, or very sparsely populated stretches. **Why does my tourist SIM in the Philippines stop working after 30 days?** Philippine law (RA 11934) caps tourist-registered SIMs at a 30-day validity period, after which they automatically deactivate — travelers on longer trips must re-register a new SIM in person. A Jetogo eSIM sidesteps that limit entirely since it's provisioned before arrival and isn't subject to the local tourist-SIM registration rules. **How does an eSIM actually work?** An eSIM is a digital SIM built into your phone — instead of inserting a physical card, you install a small profile (usually by scanning a QR code) and your phone connects to a local or partner network for data. There's nothing to pick up at a store or swap in your device; the whole process happens over Wi-Fi in a couple of minutes. **Is my phone compatible with eSIM?** Most phones from the last 4-5 years support eSIM, including iPhone XS and later, most Google Pixel models from the Pixel 3 onward, and many recent Samsung Galaxy, and other Android flagships. Check Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Network) for an "Add eSIM" or "Add Cellular Plan" option — if it's there, you're set. Your phone also needs to be carrier-unlocked. **When does my eSIM activate — do I need to already be in the country?** You can install your Jetogo eSIM before you fly, but the data plan itself only starts counting once it connects to a network in your destination country — so there's no risk of burning through your allowance early. For most plans, connectivity kicks in automatically the moment you land and your phone finds a signal. **Can I use my eSIM as a personal hotspot?** Yes — hotspot and tethering are included on Jetogo eSIM plans at no extra cost, so you can share your connection with a laptop, tablet, or a travel companion's phone. **What happens when I run out of data? Can I top up?** You can top up directly from your Jetogo account in a couple of taps, without needing to buy a whole new plan or visit a store. Many travelers also use Jetogo's PayGo option, which lets you pay only for the data you actually use instead of committing to a fixed bundle. **Do I need a local phone number to use my eSIM?** No — Jetogo eSIMs are data-only, so there's no local phone number involved. If you need to make calls or send texts, you can use an internet calling app (like WhatsApp or FaceTime) over your eSIM data, or rely on Wi-Fi calling to keep using your existing home number (see below). **What is PayGo and why does it start at $5?** PayGo is Jetogo's pay-as-you-go option: you load a small starting balance — as low as $5 — and only pay for the data you actually use, with no expiration pressure or unused-data waste. It's a low-commitment way to try Jetogo or to cover shorter trips where a full data bundle would be overkill. **Will adding a Jetogo eSIM affect my existing phone number or home plan?** No. Your eSIM runs alongside your regular SIM (physical or eSIM) as a second, independent profile — your home number, texts, and voicemail keep working exactly as before. You simply choose which profile handles data while you're on Jetogo, and switch back anytime after your trip. ## Trust _Content coming soon._ ## Why Jetogo _Content coming soon._ ## Why Choose Jetogo _Content coming soon._ ## Practical travel info _Content coming soon._ ## Other countries pricing _Content coming soon._ --- Weather and air quality data © OpenWeatherMap, licensed under the Open Database License (ODbL): https://openweathermap.org/full-history UK travel advice contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Exchange rates via Frankfurter (European Central Bank reference rates): https://www.frankfurter.dev