How is the internet speed in the Philippines?
If you need to go online in the Philippines, be prepared to stretch your patience.
Particularly, if you are a digital nomad, do not expect to get a reliable wifi connection everywhere. However, if you are not, then you should be fine. The Internet connection available still allows you to check your emails, post your vacation photos on social media, and watch some videos on Youtube.
Other times, Wi-Fi may be present but the reception is not very good - sometimes you need some patience, or even can't get any reception at all.
Often, prominent cities like Manila and in some tourist destinations like Boracay have readily available fast wifi. Many of the islands in the country, however, might very well be a hit and miss.
Hotels almost always have WiFi and most provide them free of charge. WiFi connection is also available in many shopping malls and restaurants.
If you want to have your own data connection to be independent of WIFI networks, you can choose from Globe or Smart, the two main cellphone providers in the country. You can buy and load up your SIM-card at the airport. You might also want to Google first and see what promos are available so you can take advantage of cheap surfing and calling services from your network provider.
In addition, internet cafes can be found everywhere in the Philippines. The costs are very low, between 20 and 30 PHP per hour. Still, how good this internet is, depends very much on the location. In some areas, the internet can be useful to good, but sometimes it is desperately bad. Overall, the Philippines is still lagging behind Europe or its neighboring countries when it comes to internet speed.