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Independent platform workers covered under the Social Security System can now access work-related compensation and medical benefits, bringing more protection to those injured or made ill while on the job.
Delivery riders, ride-hailing drivers, and other self-employed platform workers in the Philippines are now covered under the Employees’ Compensation (EC) Programme, giving them access to financial and medical support in the event of work-related injuries, illnesses, or disabilities.
The protection forms part of the government's efforts to strengthen social protection for Filipino workers, including those in the growing gig economy.
According to the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), the programme covers job-related sickness, accidental injury, and disability sustained in the course of work.
The move aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s push to strengthen protection for all Filipino workers, including those in non-traditional forms of employment.
Earlier, Francis N. Tolentino, Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) highlighted the role of the ECC in safeguarding workers' welfare, saying the commission ensures employees remain protected and supported throughout their working lives. This commitment has since been extended to include gig workers.
The expanded coverage has been in place since September 2020, when all self-employed members of the Social Security System (SSS) became eligible under the EC Programme. This means freelancers and independent workers can access the same work-related protection available to company-employed workers.
The EC Programme is a government initiative that provides a range of benefits and services to workers in both the public and private sectors, as well as their dependants, in cases of work-related sickness, injury, disability, or death.
To qualify for benefits, self-employed workers must have paid at least one month of SSS contributions before the occurrence of a work-related illness, accidental injury, or disability.
Claims can be submitted to the SSS by either the self-employed worker or a family member within three years of the incident.
However, compensation will not be granted if the injury, illness, disability, or death resulted from intoxication, intentional self-harm or harm to another person, or notorious negligence.
The ECC is encouraging self-employed platform workers, including delivery riders, app-based contractors, gig workers, and TNVS drivers registered under the SSS, to check their eligibility and make use of the financial and medical benefits available through the EC Programme.
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