Filipinos Going Online to Become Virtual Assistants for Global Clients

(Manila, 30th) Faced with a tense job market, low wages, and the pressure of long commutes, more and more Filipinos are choosing to enter the burgeoning yet unregulated virtual assistant industry.

32-year-old Manila resident Nathalie Mago puts her three daughters to bed every day, then opens her computer to discuss the day's schedule with her employer on the other side of the world in the United States. She says, “This job really saved me. I can support myself and my family.”
Mago's current income is five times what she made as an office worker before.
Recently, a TikTok video received tens of thousands of likes in which a virtual assistant showcased a screenshot of her five days' earnings—29,400 pesos (about 2,271 ringgit), which is twice the monthly minimum wage in Manila.

Virtual assistants are professionals who provide personal assistant services online. They serve clients from home via email, instant messaging, phone calls, etc. Their work includes drafting copy for employers, managing social media accounts, and even buying birthday gifts for an employer’s family members.
Derek Gallimore, head of consulting firm Outsource Accelerator, estimates that around 1 million Filipinos work as virtual assistants. He expects this number to keep growing.
Many Filipinos find virtual assistant jobs through online freelance platforms such as Upwork and Freelancer.
According to Upwork, the countries with the largest number of virtual assistants are the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the United States. Teng Liu, an economist at Upwork Research Institute, said that Filipinos' English proficiency makes them very well suited for the job. “We expect virtual assistant work in the Philippines to continue growing.”
Last year, Upwork earned $58.5 million (about 247.47 million ringgit) in revenue from Filipino freelancers on its platform—a 27.5% increase from 2023.

However, this emerging profession does not fall under any recognized job category, and the Philippine government cannot provide relevant data. Nevertheless, the Philippine government acknowledges the value of virtual assistant work.
According to Nikkei Asia, the Philippine government has established skills training and certification programs for virtual assistants. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) currently offers a free 100-hour “Level 2” virtual assistant course, covering skills such as project management, content management, email management, scheduling, and comprehensive virtual business management.
At the same time, government officials are encouraging virtual assistants to pay income tax as self-employed workers, as well as pay into the national social security and health insurance funds.
However, working in this industry does come with risks. Due to a lack of legal protection, people are easily deceived or exploited.
Arnold de Vera, a lecturer at the University of the Philippines College of Law, pointed out that virtual assistants are not considered formal employees in the Philippines, so there are no laws requiring foreign employers to abide by employment agreements.
Experts emphasize the need for a legal framework to protect people working in this industry to prevent further problems.

Mago said: “I know a lot of people who have been scammed. Recently someone was scammed out of 50,000 pesos. Some have been tricked into paying upfront but ultimately never got the job. Others completed jobs and the client just disappeared without paying.”

“If there were more protections, I think more people would become virtual assistants. If every family in the Philippines had a virtual assistant, then no one would go hungry.”

They also face the challenge of artificial intelligence. Currently, many of the tasks virtual assistants do for foreign clients could in theory be done by AI.
However, some industry observers believe the threat from AI is limited. Patrick Ward, founder of Los Angeles-based NanoGlobals, said that the easiest tasks for AI to replace are those “involving repetitive, rule-based administrative tasks and standardized, low-complexity customer support.”
Cheryll Soriano, communications professor at De La Salle University in the Philippines, is optimistic about the prospects for Filipinos working as virtual assistants. “I believe many employers still recognize the value of hiring virtual assistants. Some tasks require human emotion.”
However, she emphasized that virtual assistants must continue to improve their skills to maintain their value.