Where To Find Online Freelancing And Remote Jobs In The Philippines?

Where To Find Online Freelancing And Remote Jobs In The Philippines?

The Philippines is one of the fastest-growing gig economy markets in Asia, second only to India. Gig economy refers to the work done on a short-term contractual agreement basis and was what we had previously called freelancing. 

For your information

Just to dispel the misconception of most Filipinos around freelancing and remote jobs: Online freelance jobs are those gigs or work where workers don’t follow a fixed schedule. It gives them the freedom to work at their own time. Full-time remote jobs, on the other hand, are basically 9-to-5 jobs but the work is from outside the office, like your home. 

Either way, if you’re eyeing to shift gears and take your career online, or you simply want to look for a side gig to supplement your income, you can start with the platforms and websites we will be discussing below!

Job marketplaces for all things freelance and remote work

Let’s start this list with websites where you can find all sorts of remote or freelance jobs ranging from regular VA jobs, highly specialized roles in the IT industry like Software Development, to more traditional jobs that can be done online – like bookkeeping and accounting. 

1. Onlinejobs.ph

The country’s most prominent local online and remote freelancing job marketplace. The clients here are mostly from overseas and it isn’t uncommon for them to already have a team of Filipinos. So, don’t be surprised if a Pinoy recruitment officer or HR from a foreign start-up company gets in touch with you for an interview. 

Building your profile on this site is straightforward, and there are tests that you can take to prove your competency in certain skills and areas of expertise. It also has an internal messaging feature, where employers or clients can message you directly if they want to interview or hire you. 

Pros

Pros

  • A more Philippine-centric job marketplace where Filipinos don’t need to compete with other nationalities in the online job market.
  • The platform has its own time tracking system. 
  • Many of the companies here have established their own Filipino remote team. You’ll be glad to know that there’s a high chance you’ll be working with fellow Filipino freelancers. 
  • Freelancers’ identities are verified.

Cons

  • Most of the jobs you’ll find here are full-time. While there are some that offer part-time or project-based opportunities, they’re quite scarce.
  • Over the years, the salary range on this website has increased and is by no means low, it isn’t the best rate either. 
  • They don’t have an internal payment system that ensures the workers get paid. Should you encounter smaller companies or clients, it would be a risk to work for them without getting retainer fees beforehand. 
  • Applicants have no way to profile the employers internally. Onlinejobs.ph doesn’t have a feature that showcases an employer’s information and if their business or identities have been verified.  

2. Upwork

An international job marketplace for all things freelancing and remote work. As long as the job can be done and delivered through the internet, there is a job for that here. This platform has been around for more than a decade now and was formerly known as oDesk. You can find a lot of opportunities in this marketplace at different rates (ranging from as low as $2 per hour or as high as $250 per hour; or even more). Expect to have a lot of competition since you’ll be competing with the rest of the freelancers all over the world.  

Pros

  • This marketplace has a wider range of jobs you can choose from, and the opportunities here are endless. It’s easy to find full-time, part-time, or project-based jobs in Upwork – whatever floats your boat.
  • Just like freelancers’ profiles, clients also have their own profile which can be viewed and assessed within the platform. This makes it easier to identify which ones are vetted by Upwork and which ones aren’t. While we are not saying that clients that are not fully verified are scammers, their system puts you in a better position to protect yourself or avoid potential scammers. 
  • They have their own payment method which can guarantee the freelancer and the clients’ safety. 
  • You can link your bank account directly to their payment system, and some banks can support same-day transfers. 
  • Your profile can also serve as your portfolio where you can showcase your past work and clients’ reviews. 
  • You can leave a review on clients’ profiles and vice versa. 
  • A lot of jobs pay as much as hundreds of dollars per hour. 

Cons

  • Upwork is a very saturated marketplace. While there are countless opportunities on this platform, there are also millions of opportunity-seeking individuals vying for a single job post. It’s not impossible to get hired for a job, but it can be difficult for newbies or those less prolific accounts. 
  • You’re limited to a few connections or applications per month, unless you’re willing to acquire more by spending money. 

3. FreeUp

Its founder is from the US, but most of the people operating this site are based in the Philippines. This marketplace prides itself as a hub for the elite or top freelancers in the country – which they really live up to. FreeUp conducts a series of screening and interviews for both freelancers and clients, before onboarding them into their platform. With that being said, most of the clients in this platform are premium paying clients. Meanwhile, not all freelancers get onboarded in their platform, because they have certain undisclosed qualifications to look out for.

Pros

  • Easily the freelancing marketplace that offers the highest minimum hourly rate. The lowest rates here start at $8 per hour – while not that much for high-income countries, for Philippine’s it’s among the best starting rates you can find in the freelancing market. 
  • Hourly rates could go as high as $50 per hour, depending on the skills, expertise, or role. 
  • You are less likely to get scammed from this website because of the fact that the payment all goes through Freeup. They usually pre-charge clients before allowing them to start working with the people they hire. 
  • They release the payments to freelancers every week through Paypal or Payoneer. 
  • Their time tracker works through their website, and they don’t capture screenshots of the worker’s computer. It promotes independence and trust between the workers and the clients. 
  • It’s easier to get shortlisted for the jobs on this platform, but still subject to your overall competence for the job. 
  • You can also apply for jobs that pay per project.

Cons

  • Their platform – the overall interface – is still kind of clunky. Although, they’re relentless in improving it over time. 
  • Getting on their platform is sort of a job or client interview by itself – it’s another layer screening before you get into the real thing. 
  • You can’t directly communicate with the job posters when applying. Freeup will liaise between you and the client – but first, they will pre-qualify your profile before connecting you directly with the hiring client or manager. 
  • There aren’t as many opportunities on this platform.

VA recruitment websites

These websites aren’t exactly a job marketplace, they’re more like recruitment agencies for Virtual Assistants and other roles that can be filled remotely. So far, the two which we will briefly discuss below are the prominent and legitimate ones. If you’ve been in the freelancing world for quite some time, chances are you’ve already heard of them too. 

MyOutdesk PH 

This VA agency has been around for as long as I could remember – they were already operating during the early days of oDesk (now known as Upwork). Most of their jobs are geared towards virtual assistants for real estate businesses in the US and Sales. MyOutdesk is basically a middleman between you and the US clients. 

If you’re gunning to be one of the VAs of MyOutdesk, you have to have some strong foundation in basic computing and office tasks, or with sales and telemarketing. The good thing about this agency though is that their salary is quite competitive. 

Pros

  • Competitive salary offering around US$600 to US$800 per month, but it could be higher sales jobs because their compensation usually comes with commissions.
  • They provide health insurance to all their VAs.
  • They have a support team that will assist VAs in working with their clients better. 
  • A tight-knit company – working with them will give you the same feels as working with a BPO but on a remote work set-up. 

Cons

  • Their screening process is very stringent – it isn’t for everyone.
  • Jobs are mostly limited to virtual assistance and sales (telemarketing/appointment setting) in the US real estate industry.
  • Mostly full-time – their jobs are not for people who want to live the digital nomad life.
  • They have spec requirements for internet and laptop or PC. 

Cyberbacker

Cyberbacker is almost like MyOutdesk, but they have more diverse job offerings for both voice and non-voice jobs. You’ll find a mix of e-Commerce, Digital Marketing, Graphics, and Video Editing, Web development, appointment setting (voice), and customer service. 

Pros

  • Competitive salary.
  • They have a less stringent screening process and even less experienced applicants can apply and probably qualify.
  • A tight-knit community where you’ll feel like actually working for a big company with all the support systems you need. 
  • They have a more vast career option.
  • They have jobs that are most suitable for people who have worked in the BPO industry.
  • More considerate to applicants during the screening and interview process.  

Cons

  • Mostly full-time – their jobs are not for people who want to live the digital nomad life.
  • While they have a more diverse mix of jobs, they don’t offer a plethora of opportunities for everyone of different expertise. 
  • They have specific requirements for internet connections and laptops or PCs – but they will only require this when you’re already hired. 

3. English as Second Language (ESL) teaching jobs

Most online teaching jobs in the country operate the same way – they provide you with all the teaching materials you need (digitally), you open teaching slots on your schedule and wait for students to book you. While their rates may vary, the structure and flow of your jobs should be almost identical across all these platforms. The only palpable difference aside from the employee-employer relationship process within the company is the type of student you’ll be teaching. 

Below is a quick breakdown of the students in each ESL platform.

AcadsocMostly young Chinese students from mainland China.
RarejobsJapanese students, but with more diverse age groups. There are students who are as young as preschoolers, but there are also working professionals on the platform who just want to learn English. 
51talkYoung students from China. 
EngooStudents come from different parts of the world where English is not common. While they were mainly catering to Korean students of all ages in the early days, they’ve further expanded their teaching portal to countries like Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and Italy. 

4. Social media 

Yes, you heard that right! Your social media accounts can actually work as a portal of opportunities – only if you treat it as a networking platform rather than cyberspace where you can overshare aspects of your life.  It will take a lot of effort though and proper image building to attract the clients that you want to work with. 

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook

Finding an online job is almost the same as finding a traditional job – understand the job market and see which job fits you; if you can’t find one, learn some new skills or upskill yourself. It isn’t easy at first, but once you find or learn a skill that has a demand online, it gets easier. Take this information and see what works for you. 

Leave your comment