Cell phone

Anyone can have a USA number using a Skype virtual number, and it rings your cell phone regardless of where you are in the world.
I gather the US has other services as well but I'm unsure of them.

I do know your phone will need to be unlocked before it will work in other countries.

Most people in your situation simply purchase a dual sim phone.   Best prices on Amazon or E bay, but if you are already in the Philippines, you might check prices on Lazada as well.   Amazon may not ship some items to the Philippines.

Dwsses12 wrote:

I have my cell phone from the usa. With Verizon.  When i go to the Philippines i have another sim card i convert to. Cheaper than  paying Verizon 10$ a day. How can i keep my American phone number? I need to keep a  cell company in usa? Also. ?

We have been using magic jack for over 10 years now. You can port your existing number to the magic jack and then load their app to your Philippine cell phone.

Our dual sim phone (Globe and Smart) provides coverage in nearly any area where cell service is available. The magic jack app allows us to make and receive calls to the U.S. and Canada on the same phone using either a data plan on the phone, free wifi at any place that offers it, or on our home wifi network.

The magic jack website has all the details. You would need to purchase the jack in the U.S. and have the number ported as we did.  We can be out and about and receive and make calls on our app no charge if we are using a local businesses free wifi. 

Works for us.

Thank you all. Very much. I will look into it

Depending on what brand of phone you have with Verizon it may not work in the Philippines even after being unlocked.  Some phones were strictly CDMA while in the Philippines the GSM standard is used.  Best to check with Verizon.

I use AT&T in the US. Prepaid..  It's normally $40/mo with 8GB of data, but when I'm in Phils I convert it to a usage  plan (call minutes and MB of data) and since I'm not using any data or minutes, the cost is.. nothing. Then I use my PI SIM card. When I come back to the US I switch the plan back to the monthly rate. They will hold the number for up to a year I believe. But you must keep a $100 balance in the prepaid account for it to work.

Verizon won't let you do that. You either pay every month or lose the number.

Hobbit112 wrote:

Depending on what brand of phone you have with Verizon it may not work in the Philippines even after being unlocked.  Some phones were strictly CDMA while in the Philippines the GSM standard is used.  Best to check with Verizon.

Verizon is CDMA for now.  The phones are not compatible with a GSM network.

You would need a dual band GSM phone.  Frequencies used in the RP are different than GSM in the U.S.

https://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html

Yep, Verizon is CDMA. It won't work in P. I.