Internet, SIM cards and mobile signal on Bantayan Island.
Short answer: Buy a Globe or Smart tourist SIM at Mactan-Cebu airport before the bus north – you register it with your passport, proof of an address in the Philippines and a return or onward ticket, registration is free, and a tourist SIM works for 30 days. For longer stays, PLDT fiber reaches all three towns, and Starlink is an option where a dish has a clear view of the sky.
Tourist SIM validity
30 days, then switched off (longer only with an approved visa extension)
SIM registration
free
PLDT fiber, cheapest plan
₱1,299 a month for 100 Mbps (Fiber Unli)
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What it costs
Globe tourist SIMfrom ₱500 for 20 GB, valid 15 days (press report, July 2025)
Smart tourist eSIM₱599 for 24 GB or ₱1,599 unlimited, each valid 30 days (press report, December 2024)
PLDT fiber₱1,299 a month for 100 Mbps (Fiber Unli)
Starlink residential₱4,099 a month (since June 2026, press report)
Get a SIM before you leave Cebu
At the airport
What to do: Globe and Smart counters in the arrival area of Mactan-Cebu airport (Terminal 2). Buying there saves searching for a store later.
Register it
What to do: You need your passport, proof of an address in the Philippines (for example a hotel booking) and a return or onward ticket. Registration is free – never pay anyone for it.
Pick a data package
What to do: Globe: from ₱500 for 20 GB, valid 15 days (press report, July 2025). Smart tourist eSIM: ₱599 for 24 GB or ₱1,599 unlimited, each valid 30 days (press report, December 2024). Prices change – check the board at the counter.
Mind the 30 days
What to do: A tourist SIM works for 30 days, then switched off (longer only with an approved visa extension).
Every SIM in the Philippines must be registered under the SIM Registration Act; an unregistered SIM does not work. A normal prepaid SIM from a store on the island is registered the same way.
Our local guide says
Ralf, local guide in Santa Fe
“Smart or TNT work best here, and we have 5G in some places. Globe is rather slow here. I have Starlink and it works great – the price went up again and again over the last three years, but with Starlink and a generator I can keep working when the power and internet go down, which happens often.”
Smart and Globe are the two main networks in the Philippines. For Bantayan, Smart and its parent PLDT have reported new towers (from 2021) and a sea cable (2022); we found no island-specific report from Globe.
DITO: not on DITO's 5G coverage list (November 2026).
Our local guide’s experience in Santa Fe: Smart (and TNT, which runs on Smart's network) works best; Globe is slower, with 5G with Smart/TNT in some spots. TNT is Smart’s budget brand on the same network.
We have not found measurements for Bantayan town or Madridejos yet. If you depend on a connection, a second SIM from the other network is a cheap backup.
Internet for longer stays
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PLDT fiber
What we know
PLDT has laid fiber in Bantayan town, Madridejos and Santa Fe (press report, August 2024). Plans from ₱1,299 a month for 100 Mbps (Fiber Unli), plus a ₱100 monthly installation fee for 36 months and a 36-month contract. Ask PLDT whether your exact address can be connected.
Converge
What we know
not yet launched on the island in the latest report we found (November 2024).
Starlink
What we know
Residential ₱4,099 a month (since June 2026, press report); the Roam Unlimited plan for travellers is ₱5,999 a month (since June 2026, press report). Needs a clear view of the sky. Our local guide uses it in Santa Fe: it works very well; with a generator you can keep working through the frequent outages. Prices have gone up several times.
More on long stays – rent, visas, daily life – is on living on Bantayan.
When the power goes out
In a power cut, Wi-Fi routers, fiber modems and Starlink stop unless they run on a battery or generator. A power bank keeps your phone charged, and mobile data works as long as the mobile network stays up – whether the cell towers have backup power is not confirmed. Planned power interruptions and BANELCO contacts are on electricity on Bantayan.
FAQ
Can I buy a SIM card on Bantayan Island?
Yes, prepaid SIMs are registered the same way as at the airport, but tourist packages are easiest to get at Mactan-Cebu airport before you travel north.
What do I need to register a SIM as a tourist?
your passport, proof of an address in the Philippines (for example a hotel booking) and a return or onward ticket. Registration is free.
How long does a tourist SIM work in the Philippines?
30 days, then switched off (longer only with an approved visa extension).
Is there Starlink on Bantayan?
Yes, Starlink is sold in the Philippines and is used on the island; the residential plan costs ₱4,099 a month (since June 2026, press report).
Is the Wi-Fi on Bantayan good enough to work remotely?
PLDT fiber reaches all three towns and Starlink is another option, so remote work is possible – check the connection of your exact place before you book, and keep mobile data as a backup.
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