MANILA, Philippines – Earning through freelance work has never been more accessible. With a stable internet connection and numerous job platforms, opportunities can come from anywhere – and for many Filipino women, they do. A 2020 study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) showed that an increasing number of women are engaging in online work because it lets them earn while balancing home responsibilities.
But access doesn’t always mean ease. Freelancers face inconsistent income, unpredictable clients, and little guidance on how to navigate it all. For longtime freelancers Mia Juan and Dana Novales, building a career online has meant learning these lessons in real time. With more women entering the freelancing field, they share three lessons they’ve learned:
1. Build real relationships, not just transactions.
Freelancing can make work feel transactional. You get assigned a task, submit the work, get paid, and then move on. But the most successful freelancers don’t treat work that way. In such an unpredictable field, being remembered matters.
According to Dana, “Real relationships are built on service, not strategy.” Every “Well done!” or “Good work!” can open doors to new opportunities, so don’t waste them. Instead, take an extra step to establish a real relationship with your clients: check in, understand what they need, and find ways to make the process easy for them.
2. Set up systems that work for you.
Handling different clients with different ways of working can get overwhelming fast. For Mia, having systems for your workflow simply makes this easier and helps manage client expectations.
That can be as simple as being clear about what services you offer. “It’s basically saying this is what I can offer and setting a clear boundary of what you do not do. That way, there is no miscommunication of responsibilities, which happens commonly in freelancing work,” she shares. It also helps to have a proper onboarding flow – having contracts, timelines, and payment terms in place before you start, not while you’re already in the middle of the work.
3. Find solutions that work for your peace of mind.
Some challenges only appear once you’re in the midst of them, and for many freelancers, realizing that foreign payments come with fees, delays, and uncertainty is when freelancing starts to feel stressful.
“Earning in USD sounds exciting–until fees, forex, and delays eat into your income,” Dana points out. She shares that this is something she wishes she had known earlier in her freelancing career. “That’s why there is importance in having the right structures in place, especially if you’re a mom who has to think of managing your home, paying your bills, among many other responsibilities.”
That’s why Mia and Dana now use the new GCash Virtual US Account, a feature within the GCash app that lets freelancers receive USD payments from US clients more directly without the usual surcharges. After creating an account, you get your own ACH and Wire Routing Number, which you can give to your clients for direct deposits of your pay.
You can also choose to convert your USD to PHP when you want, depending on live forex rates, which you can see on the platform – giving you control over how much you actually receive. Once it’s in your wallet, you can use it to send money, pay bills, or add to your savings.
Creating a GCash Virtual US Account is easy in just a few steps.
- Open the GCash app. Tap US Accounts in the Explore the App section
- Tap Continue and verify your information
- Complete your account creation
