Opportunity and Resilience in the Philippine Platform Labor Economy: Policy Imperatives for Skills Development and Social Protection amid Climate and Technological Change
About the Project
Resilient Platform Work PH explores the opportunities and risks faced by platform workers amid climate and technological change. Despite the growing number of platform workers in the Philippines, they remain largely excluded from existing labor protections and policy frameworks. The growing gig economy has also led more Filipinos to explore platform-based work for flexible income and livelihood support, yet they remain vulnerable to climate-related disruptions, technological shifts, and gaps in skills development.
This project is led by Dr. Cheryll Soriano (Principal Investigator of Fairwork Philippines and Professor at De La Salle University), and is supported by co-investigators Atty. Jayvy Gamboa (Assistant Director for Policy and Governance at the Manila Observatory) and Dr. Jan Bernadas (Associate Professor and Research Fellow at De La Salle University). They aim to address these gaps by examining the evolving conditions within platform work and developing a policy brief and a skills framework that can facilitate mobility pathways and strengthen climate resilience in the platform workforce.
The research is structured into four phases. The first phase involves an analysis of platform work in light of the accelerating impacts of climate change and technological shift. It also includes the convening of a multi-sectoral Advisory Group from relevant government agencies, think tanks, civil society organizations, labor unions, and labor organizations. This is then followed by interviews with platform workers and influencer coaches in select cities across the Philippines. Finally, the project concludes with the development of a policy brief that enhances worker resilience and mobility amid climate and technological change.
Resilient Platform Work PH is a collaboration between De La Salle University – Social Development Research Center (DLSU-SDRC) and Manila Observatory (MO). It is part of the FutureWORKS Asia initiative led by LIRNEasia and supported by the International Development Research Centre of Canada.
Visit SDRC on Facebook and LinkedIn for more updates about the project. For any questions about the project, please email [email protected] or Dr. Cheryll Soriano at [email protected].