Digital Dad Revolution: How Remote Work is Transforming Filipino Fatherhood

One of my best memories growing up is of my dad taking my sisters and me to his office when there was no one he could leave us at home with. He worked at the provincial capitol, which is built on top of a hill in our hometown. The capitol has this huge onion-shaped dome at the very top with a scenic view of the entire island. My sisters and I had free run of the whole place, except we weren’t allowed to climb up to the rooftop where the dome was. 

But kids being kids, that was where we mostly hung out. And that was where I started dreaming all my Disney princess dreams.

This was the late 80’s so there were barely any motorized vehicles around. So we mostly went home by skipping and sliding down the side of the hill, feeling like Tarzan swinging from the low-hanging vines. Our journey down was buffered by the piles and piles of dead leaves on the ground.  

This is the type of childhood I’ve dreamed of for my children. But having an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) husband, my children’s reality is far removed from my adventurous childhood. As much as my husband wants to spoil us, cook delicious meals for us, and go on adventures with us, he can only do so for about 3-4 months a year. He only got to experience our kids’ ‘firsts’ in their formative years through email, and now through messenger and video calls. 

You would think that a non-OFW Filipino dad has the luxury of watching their kids grow up and be there for all their ‘firsts’. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. 

The Philippines is still mostly a patriarchal, society. So just like in any patriarchal society, there’s almost an unspoken rule that fathers are the providers of financial stability for the family. But here’s a surprising paradox: even though dads spend so much time at work, most of them are still quite hands-on with raising the kids.

So what happens when a father has so little time to spend with the kids because he spends hours commuting to and from the office? Not to mention that he probably spends up to 10 hours at the office itself, working overtime to make ends meet and have a little extra saved up. It’s so easy to crumble under the weight of all these challenges. 

Some Filipino dads have found the secret sauce to financial freedom sprinkled with a good dose of family time. They switched from traditional office jobs to online work.

They are now what we often refer to as the OFW version 2: Online Filipino Workers. 

We reached out to these dads to hear how working as an Online Filipino Specialist changed their lives. Here are their stories. 

Rafael: The Self-Taught Web Developer

Rafael has been in the online freelancing industry for 7 years, serving both foreign and international clients as a web developer. He specializes in building dynamic and responsive websites, focusing on front-end and back-end development. 

Rafael started his freelancing journey by immersing himself in online resources such as videos and blogs to get a better understanding of the industry. He then enrolled in a full-stack development course on Udemy and built his portfolio through app and website development for various clients. This combination of self-learning, formal training, and hands-on projects gave him the confidence to step deeper into the world of remote work. 

Most remote workers have one thing in common: They’re introverts. Rafael is no exception. His introversion has often led to lots of miscommunication in his early years as a freelancer. This often led to confusion and misunderstanding, making the initial stages of the project more challenging. 

True to his self-sufficient nature, Rafael made a conscious effort to improve. He refined his communication skills through reading, constant practice, and not hesitating to ask questions or clarifications. This resulted in smoother collaborations and better outcomes for his freelancing career. 

Rafael started his remote work journey by finding clients through Onlinejobs.ph. 

Onlinejobs.ph made it incredibly easy for Rafael to find jobs that matched his skill set, allowing him to focus on roles that fit his expertise.

When he was just starting, he found the interface user-friendly and the job posting relevant. This has significantly reduced the time and effort needed to land his first freelance gig. 

Rafael has obtained four clients on Onlinejobs.ph through the years, including his current client for whom he is working as a full-stack developer. His first client lasted for three years. 

We asked Rafael what he likes most about finding clients through Onlinejobs.ph.

He says that the platform has given him access to a wide range of clients from different industries. He also appreciates the way that Onlinejobs.ph has given him the ability to connect with clients directly and establish ongoing relationships.

This has been a major factor in his success as an online Filipino specialist. 

Vincent: The Digital Engineer

Vincent and his partner made the mutual decision for him to be a stay-at-home dad before the pandemic. This decision was based on the fact that his partner’s work provided better HMO benefits. He started looking for remote work when the pandemic hit to augment the family’s budget. His focus was on finding work that was still related to his specialization, civil engineering. 

He got his first client on Onlinejobs.ph in 2020 as an estimator where he eventually transitioned into a sales role. This jumpstarted his online career as he continued looking for further opportunities. Vincent finally landed his current client, a US-based construction company, where he’s able to put his engineering background to good use.  

For Vincent, working from home in his chosen field is a huge blessing.

He no longer has to waste any time commuting. He used to travel 3-4 hours to and from work every day. Vincent now spends this time doing chores like going to the market, cooking for his family, and cleaning the house. Remote work has minimized the need for him to eat out so he can save his salary for other expenses. 

Despite this ideal setup, Vincent has also encountered some challenges while in the initial stages of his freelancing journey. The biggest one is finding an opportunity related to his work experience. Transitioning from onsite engineering work to working online was challenging since he had spent most of his work hours throughout his career as an engineer out in the field. Working remotely as a civil engineer is still mostly unheard of in the Philippines.  

However, he was determined to make a change in his lifestyle by being able to have more time for his family.

His persistence paid off when he finally landed his current client on Onlinejobs.ph which allows him to practice his field and still be a present dad.  

These days, the only challenge that he needs to worry about is the pitter-patter of small feet running around him while he’s working.

Andiomel: The Savvy Media Buyer

Andiomel has been a freelancer for more than 5 years and gives full disclosure to clients on discovery calls of how many clients he currently has on retainer. He got his first client at Onlinejobs.ph as a virtual assistant for a travel company. Andio then continued to gain additional clients through the platform in different capacities. He has risen through the ranks from being a virtual assistant to eventually working as a media buyer now for an Australia-based digital marketing agency.

Due to the nature of his work as a media buyer, Andiomel has been able to maintain several clients on retainer. It’s important to note that Onlinejobs.ph encourages online Filipino specialists to focus on one full-time client at a time. This ensures that the OFS can give their full attention to the client’s business, thereby contributing as much as they can to the growth of the company. However, there are certain jobs that don’t require working full-time and are more results-based than on an hourly basis. In these special cases, Filipinos really specialize and manage to hone their skill to a high level, providing great results to their clients without being committed full-time.

This is the case with Andiomel. We’ve seen his client’s testimonials, in which they expressed satisfaction with how he delivered quality service. The ads that Andiomel managed for one of his clients managed to rake in at least $2 million in sales on Shopify on a $3,000/ day budget. 

Before trying his luck as a freelancer, Andiomel used to be a call center agent where he got paid around P18,000 (approximately $320 USD) a month. He found his first client on Onlinejobs.ph in his search for greener pastures. 

But just like many beginners in freelancing, he found it hard to find a niche specialization that paid well. The income he got as a VA was only enough to cover his monthly expenses, which almost beat the purpose of leaving the BPO industry. It was also quite challenging to find clients as a newbie. Even when he developed higher-level skills, the competition was too high so he still had to hustle harder. 

Andiomel surpassed these challenges by not quitting. He never stopped looking for clients on Onlinejobs.ph. He manages to close up to three to four clients a year on the platform and has since closed deals with up to fifteen clients to date.

His earnings from these clients have given him the opportunity to live his best life – traveling to different places and inspiring other freelancers to keep on going. He was even able to fund his dream wedding, thanks to his income as a savvy media buyer. 

Freelancing has also given Andiomel the freedom to remain optimistic about the future. 

Paul: The Full-Time Dad-VA

Paul has been an all-rounder virtual assistant for 5 years now. He handles all the tasks that are required to ensure the client’s business flows smoothly. Paul also continues to upskill by enrolling in online courses and self-paced tutorials. He is currently focused on enhancing his skills in video editing and Canva. 

We interviewed Paul in our feature on how online work allows Filipino fathers to be the best men they can be. He talked about the challenges of working in the BPO industry and how it stood in the way of him spending quality time with his kids.

Paul became an online Filipino specialist because he wanted to be present in his children’s lives.

But just like every other OFS, Paul faced challenges when he started. These included having to deal with constant power interruptions and internet issues. These are problems that a BPO worker normally doesn’t have to even think about. Paul made sure that his work as a VA wasn’t affected by these challenges by investing in backup power supplies and an internet connection. 

You’d be surprised to know that most OFS have at least 2 different internet service providers at home – a main DSL line and often a backup prepaid line. 

Onlinejobs.ph has been instrumental in connecting Paul with clients. Over the years, he has had many short-term projects through the platform before finding his current full-time long-term client.

Paul says remote work has given him the freedom to create a healthy balance between work and family, something that wouldn’t have been possible with a traditional job.

The Impact of Remote Work on Filipino Dads

Helping improve the work-life balance of both employers and employees has always been the goal for establishing Onlinejobs.ph. Its founder, John Jonas, lives this work-life balance to a T.  John is a solid presence in his children’s lives and spends quality time with his wife. He plays golf, bikes, travels, and goes backpacking. He has been living a 17-hour work week for close to two decades now, thanks to all the help he gets from all his OFSs. 

Remote work has truly changed the dynamics of many Filipino families. By working remotely, present-day Filipino dads can play more than just the often ornamental role that their fathers played before them. 

Now, these dads get to enjoy flexible work hours. Not only that, they have also obtained a higher level of financial freedom. Most Filipino dads don’t often talk about how they were able to build their dream homes, buy their dream cars, and take their families on trips through their income as online Filipino specialists. That’s because many of them just see it as their responsibility. However, we want to give these dads a round of applause too! We’re happy to be a part of their remote work journey, which has not only provided for their families but also strengthened the bonds of family for these dads. 

They’re able to pin their children’s medals on recognition day, accompany their kids on field trips, or even just spend playtime at home. Want more inspiring OFS stories? Have a look at Joven’s Life as a Virtual Assistant and how working from home benefits him and his family.