How to Call the Philippines From the US

How to Call the Philippines From the US: Complete Guide (+63)

The Philippines is one of the most-called countries from the US. With over 4 million Filipino Americans and countless business connections, calls between the US and Philippines happen millions of times daily. Yet US carriers still charge $1-$3 per minute for these calls.

This guide shows you how to dial Philippine numbers correctly and the cheapest ways to call — whether you are calling a Globe mobile, a PLDT landline, or a Smart number.

How to Dial the Philippines From the US

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+63 + Area/Mobile Code + Local Number\n\nExample (mobile): +63 917 123 4567\nExample (landline Manila): +63 2 8123 4567\nExample (landline Cebu): +63 32 123 4567

Step by Step

Dial + (or 011 from a landline)
Dial 63 (Philippines country code)
For mobile: Dial the 10-digit number (starting with 9)
For landline: Dial the area code + local number

Key rule: Drop the leading 0 from Philippine numbers. If someone gives you 0917-123-4567, dial +63 917 123 4567 (no zero).

Philippine Mobile Network Prefixes

Philippines mobile numbers tell you which network the person is on. This matters because calls between different networks can cost more locally.

For international calls from the US, the network does not affect your rate — you pay the same regardless.

Major Area Codes

Cheapest Ways to Call the Philippines

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Calling Philippine mobiles is more expensive than landlines across all services. A 20-minute call on Verizon costs $39.80 vs $3.00 on BubblyPhone — that is $36.80 saved on a single call.

Best Option by Situation

Weekly family calls

BubblyPhone at $0.15/min — a 30-minute weekly call is about $18/month. No subscription lock-in, no app needed.

Daily long calls

Rebtel unlimited at $15/month — unlimited calls to Philippines landlines and mobiles. Worth it if you call for more than 100 minutes per month.

Calling PLDT or Globe landlines

BubblyPhone at $0.04/min — landline rates are much cheaper than mobile. A 30-minute call to a Manila landline costs just $1.20.

Recipient has internet

WhatsApp or Viber — free if both sides have the app. Many Filipinos actively use Viber. Use BubblyPhone as fallback for poor connections.

Tips for Calling the Philippines

Time difference: Philippines is 13-16 hours ahead of the US (no daylight saving). 8 PM EST = 8 AM PHT the next day.
Best time to call: 8-10 AM PHT (evening US time) or 7-9 PM PHT (early morning US time).
Call quality: Both BubblyPhone and Google Voice route through undersea cables with excellent quality to the Philippines.
Prefix 0 vs no prefix: Always drop the 0. Philippine locals dial 0917..., but from abroad you dial +63 917...

Summary

Calling the Philippines from the US is affordable with VoIP services — $0.04/min for landlines and $0.15/min for mobiles with BubblyPhone. Drop the leading zero, use +63, and you are connected. For daily callers, Rebtel's unlimited plan is worth considering.