Lawmakers from Camarines Sur are calling on Congress to prioritize a measure that would strengthen labor protections and provide incentives for Filipino freelancers and digital platform workers when the second regular session of the 20th Congress opens on July 27.
Representatives Migz Villafuerte and Luigi Villafuerte renewed their appeal following the adoption of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, the first global agreement aimed at improving the rights and working conditions of digital platform workers. The convention was approved during the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva.
The two lawmakers are seeking the passage of House Bill No. 1988, which proposes a comprehensive set of rights and benefits for millions of Filipinos engaged in freelance and gig work.
They said:
“We are hoping that both the House and the Senate would be on the same page on considering this proposed package in full support of the newly approved and first-ever convention for the benefit of the world’s freelance or gig workers.”
The proposal comes as the gig economy continues to expand worldwide, with the World Bank estimating that around 400 million people are engaged in gig work. The lawmakers hope to advance the bill as Congress resumes its session on the same day President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address.
Migz, who chairs the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology (ICT), said more Filipinos are turning to freelance work as either their primary source of income or an additional livelihood.
He said:
“An ever increasing number of forty-something and younger Filipinos are now doing freelance work, especially on online platforms, for their principal or extra incomes in the gig economy, in lieu of jobs in the traditional workplace.”
Luigi also pointed to the growing popularity of project-based work, including virtual assistance, digital marketing, and creative services.
He said:
“More and more Filipinos are being drawn to popular freelance work such as virtual assistance, delivery of creative services and digital marketing, apparently because of the unconventional nature of these jobs or side gigs that are project-based, primarily focused on output compliance, and free from the 8 o’clock-5 o’clock, Monday-to-Friday work set-up.”
Although the Philippines is recognized as one of the fastest-growing freelance markets globally, many gig workers still operate without written contracts, making them more vulnerable to unfair labor practices and limiting their access to employment benefits and legal protection.
House Bill No. 1988, authored by the Villafuerte brothers along with Representatives Hori Horibata and Terry Ridon, seeks to address these concerns by establishing stronger safeguards for freelancers and platform workers.
The proposal also follows a 2023 Deloitte Philippines survey showing that 71% of Filipino millennials and 65% of Gen Z respondents have side jobs, significantly higher than global averages.
Migz stressed that stronger legal protections are necessary to improve working conditions for freelancers.
He said:
“The ideal workplace scenario of secured job contracts for Filipino freelancers can only happen if and when the 20th Congress writes new legislation requiring employers to seal written contracts with their gig workers, and provide them with job-related benefits akin to those accorded employees with regular jobs in traditional or conventional workplaces.”
Luigi added that while freelancing offers flexibility and new income opportunities, many workers still miss out on protections guaranteed under existing labor laws.
He said:
“Its very non-conventional setup has taken away some of the positives that traditional employment offers, such as the right to organize in the workplace and their right to economic benefits due workers under our labor laws.”