25/08/2026
๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐: ๐๐๐๐ง-๐๐๐ฅ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐บ ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐๐ถ๐ผโ๐ ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ
To bridge the gap between government policy and the fast-evolving gig economy, the Department of Information and Communications Technology-Cordillera Administrative Region (DICT-CAR) convened remote workers, freelancers, and digital agency owners, and key government representatives in Baguio City for the Freelance Stakeholders Enablement on August 18, 2026. The consultation paved the way for a first-of-its-kind city ordinance to institutionalize support for the region's growing economy.
ICT Industry Development Bureau (IIDB) Director Carmina C. Reyes emphasized that the Freelance Stakeholders Enablement cm Public Consultation serves as a collaborative platform to bring together key actors in the local freelancing ecosystem. "By gathering this data, the IIDB will craft policy recommendations to help freelancers improve their livelihoods, ensure job security, and support their transition into becoming entrepreneurs, agency owners, and micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) operators," she said.
DICT-CAR Regional Director Jimmicio S. Daoaten highlighted that freelancers, who power global enterprises from their homes across the Cordilleras, deserve formal recognition and institutional support. "We are not here simply to present programs to you. We are here to listen, to gather your realities, your needs, and your recommendations, so that the policies and services we build actually fit the lives of the people they are meant to serve," RD Daoaten said.
This initiative organized by DICT-CAR and the local government of Baguio, aimed to translate the real-world struggles of local gig workers into concrete policy recommendations and city-level legislation. At the center of the initiative is the consultation on the proposed ordinance establishing the Baguio Digital Workforce, Freelance, Remote Work, and Innovation Development Program. According to its proponent, City Councilor Edison Bilog, Chair of the Committee on Employment and Livelihood, Employment, Cooperatives, and Persons with Disabilities, it is a first-of-its-kind local policy in the region. "Once the ordinance is executed in Baguio City, our aspiring and experienced freelancers can access free or subsidized professional training, utilize co-working spaces in the city, and receive frontline administrative support," Councilor Bilog said.
Under the ordinance, a dedicated Freelance and Remote Work Assistance Center will offer career coaching, digital job referrals, tax awareness assistance, and business registration guidance. A specialized council will also be created to directly address freelancer concerns.
Highlighting the need for social safety nets, Philippine Social Security System(SSS) representative TJ Christian Tolentino Ruiz presented coverage options tailored for independent service providers, while experienced freelancer and digital agency owner Chris Rafols shared insights on scaling from solo freelancing to digital agency owner.
During the interactive workshops facilitated by Maria Korina MK Bertulfo, freelancing challenges was gathered using the "Rose-Thorn-Bud" methodology by identifying industry strengths (Roses), pain points (Thorns), and growth opportunities (Buds). Participants were strategically grouped across experience levels to identify systemic bottlenecks, gaps, and disconnects between current government policies, actual remote work practices, and the interventions needed to support them.
Synthesizing the consultation outcomes, it urged regional planners, legislators, and policy makers to execute four key interventions: bridging policy-to-practice gaps, adopting "local-first" hiring policies, strengthening infrastructure (connectivity and power), and institutionalizing lifelong digital learning. IIDB Regional Focal Engr. Katherine Faith Aguilar also outlined DICT projects and initiatives, including the Trabahong Digital Job Fair, the Digital Workforce Hub, and the Digital Transformation Center as a dedicated local co-working facility.
Closing the event, DICT-CAR Assistant Regional Director Allan R. Lao addressed a long-standing hurdle for remote workers in the region: connectivity. Lao reported that ongoing infrastructure rollouts prioritizing key areas in the Cordilleras will ensure more reliable internet access for rural and highland freelancers.
Beyond gathering valuable insights, the success of the enablement activity underscores a shared commitment between regional agencies and local leaders to build a sustainable, future-ready ecosystem for the Cordillera digital workforce.
