The results of the International Labor Union 2025 Philippine Platform Work Survey are in, and they reveal a massive shift in how Filipinos view work. From the delivery riders on our streets to the virtual assistants in our homes, the "Platform Economy" is no longer just a side hustle—it’s a primary lifeline.

The survey was a highlight of the 2nd day of the 2026 DOLE National Tripartite Conference, which was held last week. It shows that the platform economy has become a powerful engine for economic mobility in the Philippines, offering a lifeline for those seeking to escape poverty and a lucrative environment for those looking to build a career. Whether used as a full-time profession or a side hustle, digital platforms have improved lives by bridging gaps in employment and financial access.

The platform economy is not just about convenience; it represents a fundamental restructuring of how we conduct business and how Filipinos earn a living. By leveraging digital infrastructure, new business models have emerged that bypass traditional brick-and-mortar constraints, bringing a world of services and job opportunities literally to our fingertips.

This new generation of “digital-first” enterprises comes in two primary forms. Companies that provide location-based services such as Grab, Lalamove, Food Panda, and Move It have transformed logistics and transportation into on-demand services. They do not necessarily "hire" a fleet in the traditional sense; they orchestrate a network of providers to meet real-time consumer demand.

On the other hand, platforms connect global clients with Filipino talent for tasks ranging from virtual assistance and software development to data annotation and micro-tasking. This has enabled small businesses—even those halfway around the world—to scale rapidly by tapping into a remote, highly skilled workforce.

Perhaps the most striking finding of the survey is the reason why workers are flocking to these platforms, often choosing to be independent contractors or freelancers rather than pursuing traditional 8-to-5 "regular" employment.

Although nearly half of gig workers report that pay is better than in other available traditional jobs, motivations for riders and drivers are deeply personal. A staggering 73 percent of respondents chose platform work for job flexibility and the ability to set their own schedules. In a traditional eight-to-five setup, personal or family emergencies often require filing for leave; in the gig economy, the worker is the boss of their own time.

For online workers, the reasons are equally compelling. Sixty-five percent of online workers prefer a work-from-home model because it eliminates the long, costly commute and allows them to manage family responsibilities. Moreover, 46 percent of them use these platforms specifically to acquire and enhance professional expertise. The survey also highlights that, although location-based work is predominantly male (96.1 percent), web-based platforms are a major tool for female economic inclusion, with 60 percent of online workers being female. This allows women to balance professional ambitions with caregiving duties at home.

While the allure of "being your own boss" is strong, it comes with a significant trade-off: precarity. Most platform workers (69 percent of riders/drivers) are classified as independent contractors, which means they lack the automatic social protection benefits—like SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG—that come with regular employment.

Interestingly, workers are not blind to these risks. The survey indicates that they are actively seeking ways to bridge this gap, with many calling for platforms to help shoulder mandatory government benefits or to provide better insurance for workplace injuries. Despite these hurdles, the mean net earnings—averaging ₱6,704 per week for riders as shown in the survey—keep the wheels turning.

Platform work has become a pathway to financial independence for most of the “unbanked” workers. A significant portion of them previously had no access to traditional banking. Platforms have integrated digital wallets (e.g., GrabPay) into their ecosystems. For many riders, their platform account becomes their first "bank account." This allows them to save money digitally, pay bills, and even access small loans through the platform to upgrade their vehicles or cover emergency expenses—all without needing a traditional credit history.

For those with regular jobs, the platform economy serves as a vital safety net against inflation and the rising cost of living. According to recent surveys, nearly 60 percent of gig workers use these platforms specifically as a "sideline" to supplement their primary income. This extra "cushion" often covers tuition fees, utility bills, or unexpected medical costs that a single salary could not support.

Many Filipinos have used gig work as a "stepping stone." A junior high graduate might start as a rider but use the flexible schedule to take online courses. Similarly, professionals in the BPO sector often pivot to full-time freelancing to avoid the "graveyard shift" and long commutes, eventually building their own small agencies and hiring other Filipinos.

The future of work is here. It is flexible, digital, and autonomous. While challenges such as the lack of social protection persist, the flexibility and immediate access to income have undeniably given millions of Filipinos a sense of agency over their financial futures. The challenge for the coming years will be ensuring that "work at your fingertips" also means "security within your reach."

(The author is an executive member of the National Innovation Council, lead convener of the Alliance for Technology Innovators for the Nation (ATIN),and vice president of the Analytics and AI Association of the Philippines.)