MANILA -- Freelancing really took off during the pandemic as many professionals and skilled workers looked for side-hustles to supplement their incomes.

But many have also turned to full time freelancing because they like being able to set their own work hours and set their own rates.

Among Filipino freelancers, design, programming, and data entry skills are most sought after. Virtual assistants are also in demand thanks to Filipinos' English skills, one of the leaders of a global freelancing platform said Wednesday.

"Design is our popular skill, followed by programming, which you know a lot of the employers are shifting towards the freelancing market to get these on-demand projects completed, rather than focusing on full-time employment and contract work," said Freelancer global manager for managed services Wisniewski.

Wisniewski said 2 million of their platform's 70 million users come from the Philippines.

The executive noted that a lot of freelancers have signed up on their platform in recent years amid economic struggles caused by inflation or the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns.

"We’re seeing a lot of freelancers sign up in recent to kind of supplement their work or actually move to full-time freelancing as their main source of income," he said.

• Freelancers finally get much deserved affection from lawmakers

--ANC, 10 January 2023