MANILA, Philippines — Delivery riders could soon see stronger workplace protections as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) studies possible policies that would provide additional compensation and safety measures for workers braving late-night deliveries, heavy rain and flooding.
DOLE Secretary Francis Tolentino said the agency is looking into measures that could include additional pay for late-night work, hazard pay, protective equipment and assistance for motorcycle breakdowns—concerns that have become increasingly important as delivery services continue to operate even during severe weather.
However, the proposed benefits are not yet a new mandatory entitlement for all delivery riders. DOLE said clearer standards for the sector are still being developed.
Riders face risks traditional labor rules did not anticipate
Tolentino pointed out that the Labor Code was drafted in 1974, long before app-based food delivery and courier services became a major part of the Philippine economy.
The delivery sector expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when mobility restrictions pushed more consumers to rely on online ordering and home delivery. Today, riders routinely work on roads under rain, flooding, extreme heat and nighttime conditions.
“Dagdag na bayad lalo sa gabi,” Tolentino said, referring to possible additional compensation for riders working late at night, particularly during periods of heavy rain. He also raised the issue of hazard pay and adequate protective equipment.
The labor chief specifically cited situations in which riders may have to travel through floodwaters with inadequate footwear. He said riders should have appropriate protective gear, such as boots, and raised another practical concern: who should shoulder the cost when a rider’s motorcycle breaks down while performing delivery work?
Why the issue is complicated
One of the biggest challenges is the employment classification of delivery riders.
Under DOLE’s existing framework, riders may be considered employees of a digital platform or independent contractors/freelancers, depending on the actual working relationship.
DOLE’s 2021 advisory on delivery riders says the existence of an employer-employee relationship must be determined using established legal tests, including the four-fold test, economic reality test and independent contractor test.
For riders who are legally classified as employees, existing labor standards can already provide benefits such as minimum wage, overtime pay, holiday pay and night-shift differential, among other protections.
The Labor Code, for example, requires covered employees working between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to receive a night-shift differential of at least 10% of their regular hourly wage.
But riders classified as independent contractors generally depend on the terms of their contracts with platform companies rather than automatically receiving all statutory employee benefits.
The issue has been on the government’s radar for years
The push for stronger protection for gig workers is not entirely new.
In November 2025, Parañaque 2nd District Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan renewed calls for Congress to act on the proposed Freelance Workers Protection Act, which seeks protections for freelance workers, including delivery riders.
The proposal discussed at the House included provisions for written contracts, clearer terms of service, hazard pay and night-shift differential, although the measure remained a legislative proposal rather than an enacted law.
The issue has also been raised in the Senate and other policy discussions as lawmakers grapple with how traditional labor protections should apply to the rapidly expanding gig economy.
Global labor standards add pressure for change
The Philippine discussion is also unfolding amid a major international development.
In June 2026, the International Labour Organization adopted Convention No. 193 on Decent Work in the Platform Economy, the first international labor standard specifically dedicated to workers in the platform economy.
The convention establishes a global framework addressing issues such as fair working conditions, occupational safety, social protection and other rights of platform workers.
Reuters reported that the new global standards cover gig workers in areas such as ride-hailing and food delivery and include protections related to pay, occupational safety and safeguards against unjustified termination. Implementation, however, depends on national processes and the application of the convention in individual countries.
DOLE signals more action
The latest announcement comes after DOLE held discussions with digital platform companies and other stakeholders in July 2026 on improving protections and working conditions for gig workers.
The department said the discussions focused on developing fair, safe and sustainable work arrangements for workers in the platform economy.
For Filipino delivery riders, the immediate question is no longer simply whether the gig economy needs regulation—but how much protection riders should receive when the job puts them on the road during the country’s most dangerous conditions.
For now, riders should not assume that a new nationwide hazard-pay or night-differential entitlement has already taken effect. DOLE is still studying the appropriate policy framework.
But with delivery services becoming an increasingly essential part of everyday life—and with riders continuing to work through storms, floods and late-night hours—the pressure for clearer rules is growing.
The next step could determine whether the risks riders routinely take on the road will finally come with additional protection and compensation.
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