The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) reports that by the end of 2015 an estimated 1.5 million Filipinos have earned dollars without leaving the country, having found work through the internet.
The report says Filipinos working online are given jobs in writing, graphic and web design, desktop publishing, software development, audio and video editing, and as virtual assistants.
The earning rates average $3per hour and $250 per project. Variations in income rates depend on the job’s level of difficulty. The worker’s online reputation is also considered, gleaned from ratings given by previous online employers.
Online Jobs can be found through job portals such as UpWork.com, Freelancer.ph and OnlineJobs.ph. Employers are usually small to medium-sized companies or individuals abroad who choose to outsource certain jobs and functions in order to be cost effective.
An online worker needs a computer with Internet access as well as the necessary skills to do the job.
The key requirement of internet access need is where the Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) Office of DOST steps in to boost the number of online income earners,
targeting Filipinos in the provinces to use this alternative means to earning income.
“The Juan Konek Free Wi-Fi Internet access in public places project hopes to address this. With faster Internet connectivity available in all municipalities, this can significantly increase the number of Filipinos earning a living through the Internet,” DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo said in the DOST release.
Juan Konek is part of the ICT Office’s Digital Empowerment Program which aims to provide
Internet access to the country’s municipalities, through 7,118 public sites.
The DOST targeted 99% of the Philippines to be connected online by 2016.
