How to stay in touch with your friends, family, and loved ones in the Philippines for free.

If you have friends, family, and loved ones in the Philippines how do you stay in touch with them when you're away from the country?  The easiest thing that comes to mind is to pick up the phone and call, it's quick and convenient but it can be quite expensive.  Lets face it, nothing is truly free.  In some way or another everything will cost you.  But I'm going to share with you various methods that I have used to communicate with others in the Philippines (or anywhere else for that matter) without breaking your piggy bank.  Here goes:

Skype - it's been around since 2003 and many improvements and features have been added since then.  With Skype you can chat, send SMS text messages, make and receive voice and video calls, and a great deal more.  I use Skype both on my computer and on my phone.  Both are working really well for me.  You don't need an account for Skype to Skype voice or video calls, it's free.  To make a call to landlines and mobile phones you do need to buy Skype credit or get a subscription.  To call the Philippines on a Pay as you go basis you will pay 16.1 cents/min, and with a subscription you will pay 8.7 cents/min.

Yahoo Messenger - Basically YM is the same concept as Skype with almost all the same features and it's also available for both your computer and phone.  There is one nice feature that I like about YM and this is you can send and receive SMS text messages to Globe and Smart users in the Philippines for free.  Sending a text message to the Philippines would cost me about 7 cents on Skype, and you can't easily receive a text message on Skype, although it is possible using Connectotel.

Google Talk - allows you to chat with other users for free.  I've used it to chat with friends all over the world including the Philippines, no problem.  You can also send free SMS text messages to phones but only to U.S. numbers.  It also allows you to chat for free via voice or video from PC to PC.  You can make free voice calls to phones but again, only to U.S. numbers

HeyTell - this application is pretty cool, it's a lot like using a walkie talkie.  It is a cross-platform voice messenger that allows you to instantly talk with and locate friends and family.  You don't need an account to use it, and it's free to download and free to use.  It's very simple, just select a contact and push the button on your screen to start talking.  When you release the button your voice message is sent and received by your contact instantly.  It is available for iPhone and Android users.  The application needs to be installed on your phone and on the phone of the person you wish to connect with.  I have used this many times to talk to loved ones in the Philippines and it worked flawlessly.  You can go back to listen to any of your messages anytime.  Very cool.

Heywire - an application that allows you to send and receive text messages internationally for free.  This includes Globe, Smart, and Sun users in the Philippines.  You can also chat for free.  It is available for iPhone users now and coming soon for Android users.  But you don't need an iPhone to text or chat with Heywire.  You can also use this application over your PC, Mac, iPad, or iPod Touch as well.  Also very cool.

Email - everyone has an email account, right?  Many of us have several accounts.  It's a very reliable method of communication although it won't give you that real-time experience such as a chat or voice call will give.  But it's free and reliable.

Western Union - if you need to send money Western Union is very reliable, and it's very accessible in the Philippines.  You can even do it online and send a message along with it.  Not necessarily an effective means of communication but I thought I'd mention it anyway since it is so widely available in the Philippines.

Facebook and other social networks are probably another good option although I won't comment on this because I haven't tried.

There are numerous other voip online methods, some may work well and others not so well.  I'm only highlighting some of the methods I've used and have worked well for me.
There is one other method that might work for you. It's called snail mail (remember that?) but it's not so practical these days, and the mail system in the Philippines can be very unreliable or non-existent depending on the destination.  So what have you used to stay in touch with others in the Philippines, and how did it work out for you?

Christmas Traditions in the Philippines.

How do you spend Christmas in the Philippines? It is said that the Philippines has the longest Christmas season in the world.  What are some of the Christmas traditions in the Philippines that you’ve enjoyed?  Here’s a few that I’ve noted:

There are bright holiday decorations and there is festive music playing everywhere, people’s homes, on the radio and in stores. You can hear Filipino Christmas tunes like “Pasko na Sinta Ko”.

 You’ll see groups of people using “parols”, which are star shaped lanterns that have candles inside to light the way to the church in the dark.

Almost everyone will attend “Miso de Gallo”, which is a Mass held before dawn on December 16^th.  This marks the start of the 9 day novena.

Enjoy native foods outside the church like “puto bumbong” which is steamed rice inside of a small bamboo tube, “bibingka” which is rice cake with fresh coconut meat and salted eggs, and “suman” which is steamed rice (of course) wrapped in banana leaves.  This is making me hungry.

You can expect carolers or “cumbancheros” to visit the house to serenade you and the neighbors.

There is usually a re-enactment of the Holy Couple’s journey to Bethlehem, called “Panunuluyan” at the town plaza on Christmas Eve.

Almost everyone attends midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

You see friends and relatives getting together for "Noche Buena" after the Mass ends. There is usually dancing, a festive meal, and gift exchange.  This goes on all night.

The holiday season draws to a close with the Feast of the Three Kings on the first Sunday of January. 

I like to hear what some of your favorite Christmas holiday traditions are..

Sending “Load” and other gifts to loved ones in the Philippines

The holidays are upon us and there are numerous online gifting services. I have not used any of the other services but If you have family and friends in the Philippines take a look at www.sendah.com. I have used Sendah to send load to the Philippines and it worked flawlessly and quickly.  Sendah is a gift giving service that allows you to send Load to Smart or Globe users, you can also send flowers, or even a mobile SM gift certificate to your loved ones in the Philippines. News flash, Christmas is just around the corner so check this out.  You can also send an ER Card for emergency room health services, or even a Dental Card good for one check-up, preventive cleaning and tooth extraction. Payment for services is also quick and easy with PayPal or Moneybookers.  Cheers...

My first post on iPro Philippines

Welcome to iPro Philippines. This site is an excellent resource for tips, news, opinions, information, and ideas related to the Philippines.  If you have questions not covered in iPro Philippines please feel free to email your question to me at juliomal@gmail.com.  Cheers..

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