Introduction

Affordability is relative. A person earning a six-digit salary may not find it a big deal to spend ₱1,000 on a quarterly dinner buffet with friends. In contrast, an employee earning a five-digit, lower-bracket wage will consider the same dinner a luxury and will likely call carinderia meals worth ₱50 the most affordable. 

The same logic applies to affordable data promos in the Philippines. What you consider budget-friendly may not be the same as what others do. Moreover, it’s not only the price that dictates what promos are truly affordable; instead, it’s the value-over-price of each. With all these considerations, when is a data plan truly affordable? DITO Telecommunity provides a list of criteria to help you answer this question.

Types of Affordable Prepaid Data Promos in the Philippines

Network carriers in the Philippines offer multiple affordable data promos to cater to Filipinos who see cost as a barrier to setting up a fixed home internet connection. If you’re here, you are likely one of the many who find mobile data as still the best-value option to stay online. The following are common promos across providers: 

Mobile Data Packages

One such affordable plan is mobile data packages, which enable you to access not only data, but also call-and-text allocations. DITO’s version of such promos includes the Level-Up Packs, of which tiers range from ₱99 to ₱999.

Mobile Data Top-Ups

Top-ups are data-exclusive promos that you buy to increase your data balance. It could be to extend your internet access, connect online for emergencies, or both. One example of affordable top-up promos is DITO’s Data Sachets.

App-Exclusive Data Promos

Channeling the popularity of social media, online shopping, and mobile games in the Philippines, network carriers also offer data plans that provide exclusive access to specific applications, such as Facebook, TikTok, Shopee, and Mobile Legends. 

When Is a Mobile Data Promo Truly Affordable?

The cheapest unlimited mobile data plan is not always the most affordable. That is, if you’re not focusing solely on the sticker price. There are more factors to consider than just the outright cost of a promo, after all. 

As a rule, the truly affordable plan is the one that provides you with the best value without forcing you to exceed your budget. We look into the details of said factors below:

Provides Total Value

One mobile data plan may cost only ₱99, which, at first glance, is a steal. But to really know if that price provides the best value, you need to ask a few more questions, including the following:

• Is the plan for 4G or 5G access?
• Is the data allocation all-access or app-specific?
• Does the plan include calls and texts, or is it data-only?
• What is the cost per GB per day?

To give you an idea of how to evaluate, let’s take a look at the DITO Level-Up 999, which offers 120 GB of data allocation valid for 30 days. We can calculate the cost breakdown as follows:

• Divide the 120 GB data allocation by 30 days, and you get 4 GB daily.
• Divide ₱999 by 30 days, and you get around ₱33 daily.

In summary, you pay ₱33 per day for 4 GB of data for 30 days when you subscribe to the Level-Up 999 promo. Aside from the data, you also get unlimited texts and calls and a Prime Video subscription. The plan also enables data rollover to ensure no GB is wasted in case you can’t consume your plan within the validity period.

Now, using the same calculation, you can compare other options, such as a ₱99 5G data plan offering 20 GB of data for 7 days, or a ₱299 plan offering 10 GB of data for 30 days.

Suits Your Budget

Whatever fits your budget and provides the most value for your money is a mobile data promo you should consider. Listing potential plans that align with your budget for the month is a good starting point in choosing your go-to subscriptions. Sticking to one plan, say an unlimited 5G promo, is convenient and straightforward, but only if you have a consistent fund (monthly fees can go up to ₱1,000, which can be a bit pricey for some).

Another option is to stack your plans depending on the time of the month. For instance, opt for a generous capped plan in the early weeks for casual browsing, streaming, and gaming, and then get a 15-day unlimited plan in the middle of the month, when you need to upload files for work and school. This method takes a lot of testing, but once you identify your go-to plans, you save more time when you need to reload. 

Matches Your Habits

Similar to how the plan should suit your budget, you should be able to make the most of your promo payment. How? By ensuring that you use all the data available. A plan is not truly affordable if you waste data allocations because the promo expires before you can use them up, or if you need to reload repeatedly. It would have been more practical to pay for a higher-tier plan outright. 

You can avoid the mismatch by tracking your usage habits. The following questions can give you some idea as to how:

• How often and how long do you play online games on mobile data? 
• How many hours do you spend watching YouTube or streaming Prime Video while on transit?
• How many hours do you spend on your weekly video conferences using mobile data?

Once you have listed your habits and calculated the average hours and data consumption for a month, you can better choose a plan (or combine promos) that supports you. If you have the energy, you can even do this to set up a one-year plan!

Delivers Reliable Connectivity

Most importantly, the actual value of an affordable plan lies in the reliability of your connection. You cannot maximize your mobile data promo nor see value in it if you can’t connect to the internet in the first place. Patchy internet, frequent lag, and interruptions aren’t excusable, either. The key here is to find a network that provides stable or nearly stable internet wherever you use your mobile data, and choose a plan that meets the earlier requirements we discussed. 

Note that most internet connections, especially 5G, will fluctuate, so choose a carrier that can deliver the best service to your location while offering promos that provide real value, fit your budget, and match your habits. By being firm with your requirements, you might realize that a combination of stacking up plans and alternating between SIMs can be a sound solution. Let’s hope, though, that stability is achieved as network infrastructure in the Philippines continues to expand.

Affordable Mobile Data Plans Are Within Reach DITO

When you talk about affordable data plans, you can’t miss DITO’s mobile promos. From Data Sachets as low as ₱10 for 2 GB of data for one day to Level-Up Packs with 120 GB of data priced less than ₱1,000, our offers are cost-effective and can accommodate even the most budget-conscious users.

And if we’re talking about value-over-price, our app-specific and combo promos are practical options for your focused tasks. Of course, ensure you’re in a 5G-covered location, and your smartphone is 5G-ready. For a complete list of all our affordable data promos, visit the DITO App!

Conclusion

Affordable data promos are a favorite phrase among network carriers in the Philippines when marketing their offerings. But before you give in, it will help to determine what truly constitutes an affordable promo, and start basing your choices on this criteria list. Calculate value-for-price, match the plans to your budget and habits, and ensure reliable connectivity. Once you put in the effort, you will find it satisfying and gratifying that no peso is wasted on your choice of mobile data load. Start comparing prices now by visiting the DITO App or our Experience Stores!