Philippines/phone connections?

[KristineTheStrawberryGirl]

Is it difficult to call someone in the USA from the Philippines? I haven't heard from my brother since he e-mailed me, and I'm a little concerned.

[ladislav]

Gee, no! I find the Philippine phone system even more efficient that the US one. Just buy a sim card, pop it into a cellphone and call. 00+ 1 and then the area code and the number. Stop by at any RCPI office and they have phone cabins there. Just walk in and call. And at any hotel, you can call the US. And you can just use the yahoo messenger and call. And many large internet cafes have internet phones so you can call quickly and easily.

[momopi]

I also recommend getting your cel phone "unlocked" before going to PH, so you can insert local SIM cards. Make sure you bring an adapter for your charger, or an USB cable charger for your cel phone. I prefer the USB cable method because you can charge the cel phone at any computer.

Alternatively, you can buy an used/cheap cel phone locally in PH.

I didn't get my phone unlocked before I went, so couldn't use a local SIM card purchased at SM mall... duh. Phone bill for that month was $200+.

[KristineTheStrawberryGirl]

I guess that my brother is having some issues with his cell phone there ... we got a few phone calls where the connection cut out. It may be him. When we tried to call his girlfriend's cell phone, for some reason the operator said she cannot connect us to a cell phone in the Philippines. Hopefully this will get sorted out soon. Maybe he will get to an internet cafe and give us another e-mail. I mean, I want him to have fun and not worry about reporting/checking in with us every day, but we haven't really heard from him for like 2 or 3 weeks.

[Winston]

I guess that my brother is having some issues with his cell phone there ... we got a few phone calls where the connection cut out. It may be him. When we tried to call his girlfriend's cell phone, for some reason the operator said she cannot connect us to a cell phone in the Philippines. Hopefully this will get sorted out soon. Maybe he will get to an internet cafe and give us another e-mail. I mean, I want him to have fun and not worry about reporting/checking in with us every day, but we haven't really heard from him for like 2 or 3 weeks.

W: Kristine, if your brother is near a decent sized town, he can call you from a call center. If he's out in a more rural area, he may have a problem calling you. He can call you from his cell phone, but it will be expensive.

Is he usually good about keeping in touch or the type to get lost and distracted and forget his obligations?

By the way, if you send me your brother's cell phone number or his girlfriend's cell number by private message or email, I can try to contact them when I'm back in the Philippines.

[tom]

It is easy to call the US from the Philippines.
Just dial +1 (area code) and number.
From the US you dial 011 63 and the number
Sometimes you have to drop the first number dialed on a cell number.

Now the cost well that’s a different story.
To call the US will use a lot of “load� as it called in a pre paid cell phone. “Load� is how many pesos you have put into your phone. You can get more load at almost any “sari sari�, that is little stores, that are almost everywhere.
I would load 500 to 1000 pesos into my cell if I were going to make any international calls.
An acquaintance of mine got hit with $200 of charges for calling me from the US in the Philippines. If you do not have an international call plan they may really over charge you.
I have Vonage and call that way. And from the Philippines I called out of the Philippines using my soft Vonage IP phone.

Texting is very very popular in the Philippines everyone does this so you should learn how.

I just bought a basic phone when I got there. 50 bucks I think.