Member states of the International Labor Organization (ILO) including the Philippines adopted a
new ILO Convention on decent work in the platform economy — the first legally binding global
treaty with international standards to protect and promote decent work for gig workers in the
platform economy.
This includes workers in the locally-operating ride-hailing and delivery platforms (e.g. Angkas,
Grab, Joyride, Move-It, Lalamove, and Foodpanda), care platforms offering cleaning and repair
work (e.g. GetKlean or Ayos PH), and cloudwork platforms (e.g. Upwork or Onlinjobs.ph). The
Philippine Labor Force Survey 2021 estimated that 1.7 million Filipino gig workers work on
online and mobile applications.
Whether the Philippines, the Chair of the Standard-Setting Committee on Decent Work in the
Platform Economy at the 113th International Labour Conference in 2025, will ratify the
convention, and how the specific provisions will get translated into national policy and effective
access to social protection, will be the crucial next question.
The country has embraced the growing platform-based gig economy even as its archipelagic
topography renders it among the world’s most climate-exposed nations, ranking first in the
World Risk Index from 2022 to 2025 due to a dangerous convergence of high exposure, deep
social vulnerability, and limited coping and adaptive capacity.
The report presented by the Resilient Platform Work Philippines team on July 8 at DLSU Manila
raised important policy concerns and recommendations emerging from their fieldwork across
the country at the intersections of platform work and climate change.
Climate risk compounds existing vulnerability
The vulnerabilities of working in the platform economy – both because of the material conditions
that require them to be on the road and the algorithmic pressures to performance and
timeliness– are severely compounded by climate risks, exposing workers to greater health risks,
added costs, and financial risks.
As explained by Project Principal Investigator, Dr Cheryll Soriano, “Ride-hailing and delivery
workers have no choice but to be on the road to deliver their work, and algorithmically-pushed
work does not necessarily stop during extreme heat, heavy rains, or flooding. Instead, workers
may be attracted to work in light of surge pricing and higher incentives. For remote workers in
online freelancing or cloudwork, workers require continued power, reliable internet connectivity,
and ample cooling to protect computer equipment, regardless of the weather situation.”
She added that climate change introduces additional financial burdens through gig disruptions,
reduced bookings, damaged equipment, vehicle breakdowns, temporary relocation costs, and
lost workdays during disasters, aggravating income insecurity. In effect, the shouldering of work-
related costs in platform work is magnified by the costs of climate disruption or adaptation. If
and when workers choose to turn off their apps or not deliver work on identified deadlines, this
choice will have immediate consequences on earnings as well as performance ratings,
impacting future gig availability.
She added, “these make the call for specific forms of social protection more urgent than ever. ”
Policy recommendations for social protection
In presenting the team’s policy recommendations for social protection, Co-Investigator and
policy analyst from Manila Observatory Atty. Jayvy Gamboa said: “Platform workers face daily
accidents that directly pose risks to life and health, and this risk is exacerbated by extreme
weather conditions. Addressing protection in relation to accidents is primary and urgent.
Platforms that enact full labor control and obtain commissions from gig work must be enjoined to
pay meaningful compensation for work-related injuries and accidents. Overall, we must define
occupational safety and health standards and safeguards for platform work, as well as work-
related injuries, and delineate complementary responsibilities among state agencies, platforms,
and customers.”
The report also recommended the following policy reforms towards critical social protection:
Existing social protection systems are designed for the formal sector or are currently set
to require an employer-employee relationship for eligibility. There is a need to adapt
existing social security and assistance systems to platform work.
o For example, PhilHealth YAKAP) must be adapted to account for accidents and
injuries emerging from platform work. The registration or enrollment must be
accessible to workers.
o Self-employed contributory mechanisms like the Social Security System (SSS)
are organized around workers with more or less stable monthly income. As
platform workers have gig-based, irregular earnings that may also be seasonal, it
is crucial to consider contributory flexibility for workers. Work-related costs must
be factored in determining compensation as the basis for calculating SSS and
PhilHealth contributions.
Complementary private social protection must be institutionalized. Platforms must
secure health insurance and accident insurance for platform workers. Insurance policies
for platform work, such as coverage and timelines for benefit claims, must be regulated.
Platform workers may be granted temporary time-off benefits in proportion to their hours
worked on a platform.
Need to develop occupational health and safety standards for working in platform-
based ride-hailing, delivery, and care work, especially considering climate
contexts, that the government and platforms can adopt.
o For example, platforms can be enjoined to shoulder basic occupational safety
uniform and equipment such as helmets, raincoats (for worker and passenger),
boots, or protective bag for parcels or food, at no cost to workers.
o There are also important worker-centered platform design imperatives that the
government can mandate labor platforms, particularly those that fully
intermediate and organize all aspects of the labor process. These include
providing transparent weather-related compensation mechanisms, suspending
commissions and loan deductions during major disasters, integrating app maps
with disaster mapping and improved route-risk advisories, enabling destination-
setting so workers can avoid risky areas without penalty, and providing workers
with meaningful access to human support and due process.
With a growing number of workers and families depending on platform work, the
report pressed on the need to invest in climate-resilient infrastructure (e.g., public
shelters, rest stations, flood-resilient roads, and stable power and internet connectivity)
into development, climate change, labor, and investment planning. At the local
government level, preventive and protective mechanisms include partnering with
platforms and merchants for the provision of shelters and toilets where platform workers
can safely rest or wait at the onset of heavy rain, extreme heat, or flooding.
These preventive mechanisms can help lessen the exposure of workers to greater risks, one of
the critical guarantees of our constitution and the ILO Convention. Heeding these preventive
mechanisms can also lessen the need for workers to claim accident insurance.
Currently, many health risks and financial costs are left for workers to bear. The Report raised
concerns about how such jobs that expose workers to so much risk and yet without ample
protection could exist, especially as we know that the impact of climate change will only worsen
in the years to come.
Resiliency skills for platform workers
Alongside critical social protection and prevention mechanisms, the Report identified resiliency
skills that platform workers need to adapt and diversify amid the challenges of climate change
and technological development.
Co-Investigator Dr. Jan Bernadas explained the common adaptability skills across work
categories that include platform literacy, customer and client communication, climate
preparedness, occupational safety, financial management, income tracking, AI and digital
literacy, problem-solving, decision-making under uncertainty, account and data security,
cybersecurity awareness, emotional resilience, conflict management, and work continuity
planning. These skills help workers manage current risks, protect income, reduce harm, and
maintain access to platform work.
He also explained the critical diversification skills that help expand workers’ range of options
amid the threats of climate change and technological development. These include portfolio-
building, professional branding, recognition of prior learning, certification readiness, technical-
vocational skills, digital specialization, logistics coordination, care certification, AI operations and
data quality skills, entrepreneurship, business development, agency-building, coaching,
mentoring, and career transition planning.
“The report identifies the main risks, vulnerabilities, and skills implications across nine work
sectors of platform work, namely: virtual assistant; customer service and digital marketing;
programming, writing or design; agency and coaching; AI data work; ride-hailing (4W and 2W);
delivery (food); delivery (courier and logistics); and care work,” said Dr. Bernadas. “Our eight-
point recommendations are directed towards practical learning models, accessibility and
recognition, safety and institutional links, and digital literacy and livelihood support.”
As platform work becomes a continued source of employment opportunity for millions of
Filipinos, the Philippine government will have to take these policy interventions more seriously
and urgently to protect the growing platform workforce, which can have ripple effects for the
families who depend on these workers.
About the project
Resilient Platform Work PH examined Philippine platform labor in the context of climate change
and rapid technological development. Drawing on interviews with over 100 platform workers,
influencer coaches, and industry pioneers across the Philippines, it offers evidence-based policy
recommendations on skills development and social protection to support more resilient work
futures. The project findings and recommendations benefited from a series of consultations with
worker groups and an Advisory Board composed of government agencies, academe, and civil
society actors.
This project is led by the De La Salle University-Social Development Research Center in
partnership with the Manila Observatory, and funded by the International Development
Research Center of Canada through the FutureWORKS Asia research network, hosted by
LIRNEasia. For inquiries regarding the project or its findings, please contact
resilientplatformworkph@dlsu.edu.ph.
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