Since the passing of the Cybercrime Prevention Act in the Philippines in 2012, government surveillance has increased. In addition, freedom of speech remains under attack under the reign of Duterte.
To completely hide your online activities from the government, government, you need a Virtual Private Network or a VPN.
Another reason why you need a VPN is to access foreign websites and content that are blocked in your country or to unblock Philippines local content from outside.
I have recommended the best VPNs for the Philippines that will let you help with your online privacy and gives you access to any website from anywhere.
Here are our top VPN picks that work well in the Philippines for 2021…
- ExpressVPN – A premium VPN service with over 3,000 super-fast servers all over the world including in the Philippines.
- Surfshark – A super-fast VPN with 3200+ servers to help you stay safe in the Philippines.
- NordVPN – Well-rounded VPN for Netflix streaming and privacy protection.
- PureVPN – A great VPN service with 6500+ servers, and powerful security features with 6 servers in the Philippines.
- CyberGhost – A user-friendly VPN service that offers powerful encryption and 48 servers in the Philippines.
- PIA – A budget-friendly VPN with over 23,000 servers to help you unblock any restricted contents (24 servers in the Philippines)
6 Best VPNs for the Philippines in 2021
If you want safe and unrestricted access to the internet, make sure you check out my hand-picked list of best Philippines VPNs below:
1. ExpressVPN – Overall Best Philippine VPN for Streaming
ExpressVPN is no doubt one of the best VPN for the Philippines. In the Philippines, ExpressVPN has multiple servers that will let you stream all of the local TV channels in the Philippines which watching outside the country.
With over 3,000 servers worldwide, ExpressVPN certainly lives up to the hype. Aside from being blazing fast, ExpressVPN comes packed with tons of security features.
It is one of the most premium VPNs in the industry. To start off, ExpressVPN is fast, I mean seriously fast. It is also one of the best VPN for Thai people.
Speaking of which, ExpressVPN offers Network Lock, Zero-knowledge DNS, Split tunneling, and even utilizes powerful 256-bit AES-CBC encryption.
Naturally, all this performance comes at a premium price. If you want to opt for this VPN in the Philippines, you’ll have to pay around $6.67/mo .
That said, considering ExpressVPN’s features and a 30-day money-back guarantee, it is totally worth getting. For a complete list of features, including pros and cons, check out our ExpressVPN Review. You can also check out the ExpressVPN lifetime subscription plan.
2. Surfshark – Fastest VPN for Philippines
Another good Philippines VPN which isn’t reliable only but also super-fast VPN in this list and i.e Surfshark. Starting from just $2.49/mo. Surfshark delivers a perfect bundle of security features. It’s also one of the fastest VPN services.
Just like ExpressVPN, Surfshark is compatible with Android, iOS, and a bunch of other platforms and operating systems. It has a total of 3200+ servers that will let you stream foreign websites. But it doesn’t have servers in the Philippines, but still, you can access local content from outside the country. You can do that by connecting to Indonesia or Taiwan server.
If we talk about features, Surfshark offers top of the line encryption, snappy protocols, and other benchmark feature to compete with the best VPN apps.
That’s not all, Surfshark is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, and guarantees a strict no data logging policy. Even it is on top of the list of VPN multiple devices by offering unlimited simultaneous connections against 1 subscription.
Even though this VPN might be cheap, But it still offers a hassle-free full 30-day money-back guarantee. For a complete list of features, including pros and cons, check out our Surfshark Review.
3. NordVPN – Top VPN Philippines
NordVPN is headquartered in Panama, a jurisdiction that is a privacy-haven for citizens due to its lack of data retention laws. The provider has more than 5,500+ servers in 59 countries. However, there are no servers within the Philippines.
Despite the lack of Philippines servers, NordVPN can still be very useful if you want to unblock foreign content that may be geo-restricted. You can access US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and many other popular streaming platforms with Netflix’s servers.
Other than that, NordVPN is also very effective at protecting your privacy. It has excellent features in the form of DoubleVPN, Onion over VPN, CyberSec, AES-256 encryption and kill switch. These will make sure that your online activities remain obscured from the view of any third-parties, giving you the freedom to surf the web in complete privacy.
The no-logging stance of the provider is also very reassuring as they keep no records of your sensitive information for any period of time. You can get NordVPN for $3.71/mo if you go for the 2-year subscription which comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and support for 6 simultaneous connections. You can also check out the NordVPN lifetime subscription plan.
For a complete list of features, including pros and cons, check out our NordVPN indepth review.
4. PureVPN – Best for Streaming in the Philippines
PureVPN is a great choice for streaming in the Philippines. This VPN is compatible with all major platforms and has a very minimalist design. Its mode selection features make it quite convenient to use, even for newbies.
As far as features are concerned, PureVPN is headquartered in Hong Kong and offers access to over 6500+ servers in 140+ countries around the world to stream American Netflix, Hulu, and access foreign websites that are blocked in the Philippines.
But if you are living outside the Philippines, you can stream ABS-CBN, GMA 7 Manila, Fox Sports Asia, etc with the help of 6 servers in Manila, Philippines.
Not only that but features like military-grade encryption, secure protocols, kill switch among others comes standard with all PureVPN subscription plans.
So whether you want to access geo-blocked services like U.S Netflix, torrent your favorite movie, or share your opinions, you can do that without worrying about the authorities. Although, PureVPN is top in the list of best VPN Kodi as well as best VPN Firestick as it is working smoothly on Kodi and Firestick.
Best of all, PureVPN is easy on the pocket and only costs $3.33/mo . If that’s not enough for you, PureVPN even comes with a full 31-day refund policy.
For a complete list of features, including pros and cons, check out our review of PureVPN.
5. CyberGhost – Secure VPN for the Philippines
CyberGhost is another super affordable VPN service for unblocking Philippines content.
Cyberghost headquartered in Romania and comes with just the right features for ultimate privacy.
With over 6,600+ servers all over the world and a premium mode selection feature, you can literally unblock any geo-restricted website in the Philippines.
48 new servers in the Philippines have recently been added to CyberGhost’s server list. That’s a good number of servers and will help unblock any local channel, content, or website that you want to visit.
Not only that, this best VPN for the Philippines is also praised for its benchmark encryption and protocols. Speaking of which, CyberGhost uses 256-bit encryption with OpenVPN combination for impenetrable security.
Best of all, CyberGhost only costs $2.25/mo and is covered by a full 45-day money-back guarantee. For a complete list of features, including pros and cons, check out our CyberGhost Review.
6. PIA VPN – Best for Torrenting in the Philippines
PIA has 24 servers in the Philippines to watch Philippines TV channels, news, and sports from outside the country.
PIA is a USA based VPN service that offers over 23,000 servers across 77+ countries. These servers will help you unblock US Netflix, HBO, and more foreign channels and websites. This VPN also comes with 256-bit encryption and security protocols for ensuring your online privacy.
Just like other Philippines VPN we have looked at so far, PIA offers support for a wide range of popular devices including Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, etc. It also features specialty servers that are designed to offer top-notch privacy and access to heavily geo-restricted content.
Another security feature that’s unique to PIA is an automatic kill switch, split tunneling, port forearding and dedicated IP. If that’s not noteworthy enough, PIA only costs $2.69/mo and comes with a solid 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can also connect 10 devices at the same time.
For a complete list of features, including pros and cons, check out our PIA Review.
Why do you need a VPN in the Philippines?
If I haven’t already made it clear enough, here are a couple of reason why you should be using the best VPN for the Philippines:
1. Scarce freedom of speech
Journalists and bloggers have long objected to the suppression of criticism and free speech by the Duterte government. Some notable journalists have been detained by the government in recent times for criticizing the president and government policies.
This reeks of censorship and authoritarian control over people’s thoughts. In this environment, the need for the best VPNs Philippines is increasing with every passing day.
2. Speculated government surveillance & data retention
From official leaked documents, it is speculated that the Philippines government is looking to invest in covert surveillance programs.
Even more shockingly, there is documented proof of the Philippine government purchasing high-tech IMSI-catchers worth approximately $200,000 for supposed eavesdropping on telephonic conversations.
Not only that, back in 2014, the Philippine government acquired a Radio Frequency Test Equipment (RFTE) intended for surveillance from a German company.
In addition, according to the Philippine Cybercrime Prevention Act, local internet service providers must collect and store user data for up to six months.
This stored data can be investigated by law enforcement authorities and the National Bureau of Investigation with proper court orders.
3. Geo-restrictions
While geo-blocks isn’t much of an issue in the Philippine, VoD services like Netflix U.S, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and amazon prime Philippines, you might be out of luck.
Therefore, if you wish to unblock such services, your best option is to use a reliable Philippine VPN with tons of servers worldwide.
As far as accessing YouTube, Facebook, and torrenting in the Philippines are concerned, you don’t technically need a VPN. But it’s still better to have the best VPN Philippines installed on your device just in case.
How to Use a VPN in the Philippines
If you’re going to use a VPN to protect your online privacy and access foreign content, you will need to follow these instructions:
- Firstly, you will need to subscribe to the VPN service (I recommend ExpressVPN)
- Next, you will need to download and Install the ExpressVPN app
- Enter Username and Password
- Now, if you’re living in the Philippines you will need to connect to the US or any other server
- But if you’re present outside of the US but want to access Philippines content, then connect to the Philippine server.
- You’re good at stream channels and websites!
How to unblock Netflix in the Philippines with a VPN?
Surely there’s Netflix in the Philippines region but its library isn’t close to what American Netflix users get. To unblock US Netflix, you will need to follow these instructions:
- Subscribe to a VPN service from the list mentioned above (I recommend ExpressVPN)
- Download and Install the app
- Connect to a US server
- Visit Netflix website
- Enter your Netflix username and password
- Start streaming Netflix with an American library
Should I Use a Free VPN in the Philippines?
If you ask me, free VPNs are not worth using at all.
Considering that many free services have been caught red-handed selling user information for a profit, it’s best to avoid free VPNs altogether.
Nonetheless, there are still a few legitimate free VPN apps for the Philippines including:
Although none of these have servers in the Philippines and come with other limitations, they can offer basic online protection effectively.
FAQs
Is VPN illegal in the Philippines?
No. VPN services are not illegal for use in the Philippines.
Does NordVPN work in the Philippines?
Yes, NordVPN works in the Philippines although it has no servers within the country.
Does ExpressVPN work in the Philippines?
Yes, ExpressVPN works in the Philippines and also offers some servers in the country.
Which VPN has a Philippines server?
Several VPNs offer servers in the Philippines including ExpressVPN, PureVPN and PIA.
Can I use Hulu in the Philippines?
No, you cannot use Hulu in the Philippines unless you use a VPN service.
Can I use a US Netflix account in the Philippines?
Yes, you can use a US Netflix account in the Philippines, but you will get the content catalog of the Philippines while in the country. To get US Netflix, you will need a VPN service.
Wrapping up
With the growing number of cyberattacks, scarce freedom of speech, and deteriorating cyberspace in the Philippines, a VPN is an absolute must. If you care about your privacy and want to freely use the internet without worrying about government surveillance or oppression, you must invest in one of the best VPNs for the Philippines today.
