LABOR Secretary Francis Tolentino pushed for the provision of minimum wages to gig workers, saying Thursday, July 23, 2026, that they must be considered just like any other employee with employers.
In a media forum in Manila, Tolentino said gig economy workers must be covered by the minimum wage rates set by Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs).
"If there are riders, who are not receiving the minimum wage, please come to us," said Tolentino.
He admitted, however, that it would be difficult to implement such a measure since the gig industry is not yet regulated.
"The gig economy is somewhat complicated. We don't have standards for it yet," admitted Tolentino.
The gig workers are those with temporary, contract, or freelance jobs that provide on-demand work, services, or goods, such as managing rentals, tutoring, coding, driving for ride-share services, delivering food, or writing articles.
Meanwhile, the labor chief urged private establishments to address cases of wage distortion within their firms following the latest issuance of the wage order by the RTWPB-National Capital Region (NCR).
He said it is imperative for companies to resolve wage distortion cases among their workers.
"Wage distortion refers to rates higher than the basic wage that also need to be adjusted. Once the (wage rate) gaps diminish, there needs to be a negotiation already... in terms of skills and experience, the long-time employee should have a higher salary," said Tolentino.
He admitted, however, that addressing wage distortion is out of the department's hands as the wage orders only cover minimum wage earners.
"They will be the ones to discuss that; it’s a matter of the free market. Management and employees are tasked to adjust wages of those not covered by wage orders. They have the freedom to discuss that among themselves," said Tolentino.
To note, wage distortion occurs when the variations in wage rates among employee groups within an enterprise are significantly eliminated or substantially diminished due to mandated wage increases. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)
