Manila, Philippines – The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) called for future-ready labor policies for platform workers at the Resilient Platform Work Philippines’ Policy Briefing and Stakeholders’ Forum held on July 8, 2026, at the Pablo Nicolas Auditorium, St. La Salle Hall, De La Salle University Manila. 

The Institute’s participation is in line with the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) efforts, under Secretary Francis “Tol” Tolentino’s leadership, to advance evidence-based policies, social protection, and decent work for platform workers.

ILS Officer-in-Charge Deputy Executive Director Miraluna S. Tacadao served as a panel speaker discussing the recently launched policy brief’s findings on platform workers’ climate change challenges and rapid technological transformation, noting skills development and social protection.

Ms. Tacadao was joined by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), Climate Change Commission (CCC), Akbayan Partylist, Federation of Online Platform Service Cooperatives (FOPSCo), and RIDERS-SENTRO’s representatives.

She underscored that decent work promotion means building a resilient environment for workers in the platform economy, noting whole-of-society’s approach to realizing such among platform workers.

“Promoting decent work in the platform economy extends beyond regulating work arrangements. It requires creating an ecosystem [where] workers can remain productive, protective, and resilient amid technological, economic, and environmental transitions. As a research institution, we believe that it is our shared responsibility to create an environment [where] platform work can grow while addressing its challenges.”

With the recent adoption of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 193 (C193) on Decent Work in the Platform Economy in June in Geneva, Switzerland, she welcomed the opportunity to strengthen the country’s policy framework for platform workers.

“With the recent adoption of the [International Labour Organization] Convention No. 193 on Decent Work in the Platform Economy, it is [a] timely opportunity to review our policies, assess what is working, and what needs improvement, and ensure our legal and institutional frameworks keep pace [with] the reality for platform workers,” she said.

The policy brief’s recommendations on social protection and skills development were based on platform workers’ responses and industry representatives in the country, reinforcing platform economy studies of the Institute.

The Resilient Platform Work Philippines is led by De La Salle University-Social Development Research Center (DLSU-SDRC), in partnership with the Manila Observatory (MO), and funded by the International Development Research Centre of Canada through the FutureWORKS Asia research network, hosted by LIRNEasia.

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