Brought about by changing economic and societal conditions, more Filipino workers are participating in the gig economy—a field characterized by the confluence of freedom and precarity.

FREEDOM IS deemed a prized possession in today’s fast-paced corporate world. For many workers, more time is spent getting ready in the morning, braving long and grueling hours of commute to the office, and doing it all in reverse. At the end of the day, the average Filipino worker arrives home exhausted, unable to make time for themselves beyond their careers. Enticed by its promise of flexibility, many Filipinos have turned to the raket (gig) economy.

According to Economics Lecturer Daniel Alberto Guinigundo, the gig economy refers to “a system characterized by workers employed in temporary positions for short-term commitments.” While not entirely new, the gig economy has become increasingly attractive for many workers, providing them a shot at better work-life balance. However, freedom is a double-edged sword that may prove detrimental to a freelancer’s career: More control over one’s life may also come with more responsibilities to juggle.

Bread and butter

For Trish*, such freedom fueled her to be a freelancer for ten years and counting. Before getting into freelancing, she worked a full-time job at a local publishing company where she realized that a 9-5 desk job was not fit for her.

Eventually, Trish decided to focus on freelancing, where she would be paid for every article she worked on. “I realized, […] parang mas kumikita ako dito kaysa sa stable job ko (I realized I might have been earning more [from my gigs] compared to my stable job),” she shares.

Aside from the frequent payouts, Trish would also look forward to working on interesting projects that brought her new experiences. As a creative person, her need for excitement led her to pick up jobs such as being a writer, virtual assistant, social media manager, and content creator. Through these jobs, Trish has learned to adapt and evolve for the different situations her career puts her in.

The thrill of being able to partake in new experiences with different crowds and tasks kept Trish’s passion alive, despite the disapproval and doubt she received from her family and peers. The uncertainty of success for freelancers was an issue her parents would express concern for frequently, while her peers would sometimes look down on her choice to freelance.

Trish admits that these instances of belittlement could have been her downfall, but it ultimately helped her realize the importance of self-confidence as a freelancer. However, she acknowledges that judgment is a part of the process and recognizes some truth to the worries of instability within the industry.

Raket science

Contrary to popular perception, freelancing is not always easy-going. For Trish, freelancing was arguably more difficult than her editorial assistance job, especially with getting and keeping clients. Struggling to establish long-term business relationships, Trish experienced times when she would have no clients at all.

Guinigundo further shares that such ephemeral business relationships sometimes work for the client more than the freelancer. By paying for short-term services, employers are essentially able to save money. “Being hired on a temporary or short-term basis, employers are not required to accord them the full benefits as a regular employee normally would [have],” he says.

As such, while the autonomous nature of the raket economy presents an attractive environment for workers, such promises could translate to lower wages and a lack of  job security.

In the personal realm, such autonomy could ultimately lead to stress and burnout, as Guinigundo states. Amid the raket economy enabling exploration and expansion of skills, workers who partake in short-term work may end up flitting from job to job, resulting in fatigue and exhaustion.

As Trish undergoes such challenges, she channels strength and self-confidence for a sense of stability. “Any time, things [can] change, but you just have to be strong and just go for it,” she says.

Banking on security

Amid ever-changing labor conditions in the new normal, the raket economy has now grown into a prominent part of the Philippine labor market. Thus, Guinigundo recommends that it be given more regulation through effective research-backed policies protecting the rights of freelancers.

In 2023, the House of Representatives approved the Freelance Workers Protection Act on its third and final reading. The bill mandates a written contract between the employer and employee that explicitly states the services, compensation, and benefits to be provided. The job therefore is given more structure, security, and stability.

Had this bill existed during Trish’s earlier raket endeavors, her journey might have been smoother. “Before, I did not know how to do contracts. So I was just like, ‘yeah, I’ll do the work.’ […] There [were] times when I wasn’t paid,” she adds in a mix of English and Tagalog.

With Filipino workers like Trish striving to strike that perfect balance between work and life, Philippine law must respond accordingly to safeguard them as they navigate the raket economy.