ABSTRACT

The world is still reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many lost their jobs. It was during this pandemic that people payed more attention to freelancing. However, even before the pandemic, this phenomenon was already gaining ground in the Philippines. The purpose of this paper is to explore Filipino professionals’ lived experiences as they transition from the corporate world into a work from home job as online freelancers. This study used a qualitative research design using the phenomenological approach. Eleven participants willingly responded to the key informant interviews (KII). They were professionals who left their previous corporate job to work from home as online freelancers. Results revealed that the challenges they encountered were distractions at home and lack of recognition. The identified themes for the advantages were freedom, more time with the family, and flexibility. Based on the study’s findings, it appeared that the benefits of freelance work outweigh the challenges. Freelancing creates alternative employment opportunities for Filipinos, both professionals or not. The implication of the study points to the need for education or information dissemination so that those who need jobs or want to transition from the corporate world can venture into freelancing, especially during a pandemic.

摘要

世界仍在受到COVID-19大流行的影响。许多人失业。在这种大流行期间，人们更加关注自由职业。但是，即使在大流行之前，这种现象在菲律宾已经开始流行。本文的目的是探讨菲律宾专业人员从企业界过渡到在线自由职业者在家工作的生活经验。本研究采用现象学方法进行定性研究。十一名参与者愿意回答关键线人访谈（KII）。他们是专业人士，他们离开了以前的公司工作，在家中以在线自由职业者的身份工作。结果表明，他们遇到的挑战是在家分心和缺乏认可。确定的优势主题是自由，与家人在一起的更多时间和灵活性。根据研究结果，自由职业者的收益似乎大于挑战。自由职业为菲律宾人（无论是否专业）创造了替代性的就业机会。该研究的意义在于需要进行教育或信息传播，以便那些需要工作或想要从企业界转型的人可以冒险进入自由职业，特别是在大流行期间。