TACLOBAN CITY— Delivery riders in Tacloban City secured a major labor win after the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) ruled that 126 Foodpanda riders should be classified as regular employees, entitling them to labor protections and statutory benefits.
The decision marks a significant shift in the status of app-based delivery workers, granting them greater job security and recognition under existing labor laws.
Riders welcomed the ruling, calling it a long-awaited acknowledgment of their rights and contributions in the growing delivery sector. Labor advocates also described it as a landmark decision that underscores the need to protect workers in the gig economy.
The case, according to reports, highlighted the riders’ collective action in asserting their status as employees rather than independent contractors, amid long-standing concerns over job security, compensation, and workplace protections.
Delivery rider groups urged Foodpanda and other platform-based companies to comply with the ruling and ensure fair wages, humane working conditions, and full social protection for workers moving forward.
The ruling comes amid ongoing national discussions on the rights of gig economy workers, many of whom continue to raise issues on employment security and benefits in platform-based jobs.
(GISELLE-ANN A.PADILLA,LNU STUDENT INTERN)
