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I opted for a Esim from smart,  if your phone has duel sim capabilities you can use it without getting rid of your other phone number.  You can do it online.  i needed to use my laptop and phone to install as they give you a code you need to scan with your phone to activate.  Charges are pay as you go and select what you want.  they provide a app for your selections.

Your question is: "What's my best provider and SIM option with whatever else I need online ?" There are two primary cell phone service providers: Smart and Globe. Many people prefer Globe. I'm familiar with Smart. Either one is fine. I'll speak about using Smart. But the same will apply to Globe. You'll find a Smart kiosk or shop in most prominent malls. I'd suggest using Google to find the one nearest you. But that assumes you are familiar with Google and/or Google Maps (or use the preloaded Apple Maps). You will find that Google and Google Maps give you significant advantages, and I recommend that you download them to your phone via the "App" app you have preloaded on your phone. If that is challenging, go to any Apple store in any mall, and they can do it for you.

You'll have two options at the Smart store: a monthly plan. If you can get this, it might be the most straightforward option, but it won't be the cheapest option. It will give you a phone plan and automatically withdraw monthly sums from your credit card or bank. That will allow you to make calls and give you some data for using the internet on your phone. The option I use, and as I don't know your legal/immigrant status in the Philippines, may be the only option available for you: a "pay as you go plan." They work great, but you must keep adding sums at intervals to keep the phone number working and active. But there is one other thing you'll need to do. Instead of just buying phone time, you'll purchase a phone "plan" from Smart specifically for "Pay As You Go" plans. It allows more flexibility and saves you money. You can buy the plan for a day, a couple of days, a week, or up to a month. I would recommend buying it by the month. They are cheap - less than 10 US dollars a month- and give you virtually unlimited phone calling and data/internet access. Again, the customer service people at Smart can show you both plans - "pre-pay" and "pay as you go"- to help you choose the best plan for you and set it up for you. Your responsibility will be to buy the program each month when it expires so you have uninterrupted service. There are many options to do this - possibly for you; the simplest is paying cash monthly at a 7/11 convenience store. But there are many ways to do this. And I can go over these with you if you like. Cell phone service is a little complicated in the Philippines, but it is manageable once you understand its logic. I guarantee you it will irritate you, but such is life.

There are two leading service providers in the Phils. Globe & Smart. Being competitors, their plans and pricing are pretty much the same. Back in the day, selection was widely based on signal availability. If you have a target location where you prefer to stay, try to contact someone in that area, especially if its in the provinces. Service in most larger towns and cities is not a factor, but signals can be hit or miss in provincial towns and locales.

There are other service providers as well, to be fair, but Globe and Smart have the widest coverage.

Thank you gentlemen especially KTAB for your detailed and comprehensive guide, I hope I didn't take too much time out of your days,

I hate IT in all it's forms and yearn for bygone days when you were sociable face to face or had to go down the red telephone box with your pennies pressing button A or B, haha, don't get me wrong, I am a very sociable guy but hate to see everybody and their dog with a mobile welded to their hand and ear piece, and all talking to fresh air.

I guess I come in the 'silly old fart' category, but I have a wonderful life so 'old fart' it is.

I have been in China for the last 13 years plus and have only just demolished the great firewall by getting VPN'd, now I'm wondering if I should have stayed behind the wall after viewing all the rubbish and adverts, digital wallet, WTF, haha, don't think I'll be going there huh.

Thanks again gentlemen

P.S. I sussed the unlock on my Apple and am unlocked apparently so no searching for that just prior to landing, eureka !

@petercc028

Hello.

Find which carrier has the strongest signal in your area. I have dual sims, Smart and globe. Smart seems the strongest when I am at home. I have PLDT home fibre for internet and do not use roaming, too much load "disappears"

regards  Bruce

@petercc028

Peter like you I have an Apple iphone (13) which supports esim. Before I visited the Philippines in November I looked at getting a dual sim but after I had spoken to my Cellular supplier (3) here in the UK did not think it was worth the hassle.

I purchased my smart sim in the arrivals hall of T3 at Ninoy Aquino. They just showed me a board with different pricing plans and I went for the monthly deal as I was there for that length of time. (Quick sidebar - I went to Phnom Penh for a week and the hotel where I stayed the Duong Chan included a gratis pre loaded sim card!).

While in the Philippines I stayed in Manila, Mindanao, Cebu & Bohol and the reception and functionality was excellent.

As you go into the arrivals concourse (assuming your flight lands at T3, most do)  turn right and the Smart hut is about 25 metres to your left.

Its best when you come to Philippines to just get a prepaid sim from either Smart, Globe, or Dito they all work fine in Metro Manila and all of them have pretty good data speed, and not to mention they are some of the cheapest plans in the world for data and calls.

The old  rule was that Globe was better in urban areas, Smart in the province, and for us it still seems to hold true in that Smart seems to get a better signal outside the cities. That said Globe is the one I ended up with when I had to register my SIM card earlier this year, and it's been fine.

We use prepaid, with monthly or weekly promos, and connect to Wi-Fi whenever available, including it at home .. to avoid using much data, and it ends up being very inexpensive.