When most of us hear the term “gig economy,” what usually comes to mind are platforms. We picture Grab drivers in green, Foodpanda riders in pink, or online freelancers bidding for projects on Upwork or OnlineJobs.ph. These platforms dominate headlines, and for good reason.
Grab currently has about 40,000 registered drivers, down from 65,000 before the pandemic. Foodpanda has about 85,000 riders, while Angkas and JoyRide each have more than 30,000. Move It, meanwhile, claims over 14,000 riders, but the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has capped it at 6,836, sparking a dispute.
In the online space, SEMrush analytics show millions of Filipinos visiting freelancing platforms every month, with OnlineJobs.ph and Upwork leading the pack. Together, platform-based gig work likely involves 1.5 to 1.7 million Filipinos.
That may sound significant, but it is only a fraction of the real story. The May 2025 Labor Force Survey (LFS) revealed that 27.9 percent of employed persons, nearly 14 million Filipinos, were self-employed without employees. This is the best available proxy for the gig workforce, although it also includes micro-entrepreneurs such as sari-sari store owners.
Even with this overlap, the LFS shows clearly that the scale of gig work is far larger than what platforms capture. If platforms account for no more than 1.7 million, that leaves more than 12 million Filipinos earning income outside platforms.
These are the workers who seldom appear in glossy ads or policy debates. They include construction workers, plumbers, electricians, aircon repairmen, and carpenters hired for a day or a week. They are house cleaners, babysitters, and caregivers whose jobs last for hours.
They are event staff, food servers, and sales promoters who step in when shops or organizers need extra hands. They are the ones you find not on apps but through word of mouth, Facebook groups, or barangay connections.
Some gig workers may have started on platforms and later “graduated” into direct client work, while many never needed platforms at all.
Their work is as flexible as it is unpredictable. Most are paid in cash or through fund transfers, with no contracts, benefits, or assurances that a client will actually pay.
Unlike platform workers, who at least have structured payout systems, though minus hefty commissions, these non-platform workers absorb all the risks of informal arrangements.
The latest LFS numbers provide important context. The country reached its highest labor force participation since 2005, with 52.32 million people in the workforce. Employment was at 50.29 million, but 6.6 million were underemployed, wanting more hours or better-paying jobs.
Gig workers, particularly the self-employed without employees, are disproportionately represented in this underemployed group. They work long or irregular hours but still struggle to make ends meet.
Looking forward, technology adds a new challenge. Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape the demand for freelance services worldwide. Routine writing, transcription, and design jobs, areas where many Filipinos once thrived, are increasingly being automated.
At the same time, new opportunities are emerging in AI-assisted content creation, human-in-the-loop services, and data labeling. Rather than wiping out work altogether, AI is reshaping demand.
The risk is that freelancers who remain in low-value segments may be displaced, while those who reskill could find new opportunities.
The Marcos administration has acknowledged the gig economy’s role in its digital transformation agenda, through programs like DICT’s ASCEND, the rollout of the National ID for financial inclusion, and continued investment in digital infrastructure.
These are important steps, but on their own, they are not enough. Unless we widen our view of gig work beyond platforms, policy will risk being too narrow. Protecting only those in apps leaves the hidden majority, the 12 million non-platform gig workers, outside the safety net.
The gig economy is far bigger than the apps. It includes millions of Filipinos who hustle daily outside digital platforms, making households, businesses, and communities run.
Some are micro-entrepreneurs, some are tradespeople, and others are freelancers who rely on referrals and trust. Yet they remain underrepresented in data and policy debates.
Unless we expand our definition of gig work, we will continue to regulate the visible few while leaving the invisible majority to fend for themselves. That is a blind spot the Philippines can no longer afford.
