Kalayaan (Freedom), Hanapbuhay (Livelihood), and Pagsisibat (Persisting): A Conceptual Unpacking of Freelance Work in the Philippines
Theresa Anne Nadine L. Rellamas et al.
This article is a conceptual but empirically grounded exploration of how Filipino freelance creatives construct and navigate freelance work. Using the sibat (spear) as a metaphor for movement and survival, the paper unpacks freelance work as hanapbuhay (livelihood) pursued in the quest for kalayaan (freedom). Building from emic narratives of sixteen (16) freelance creatives, the paper develops a conceptual model of freedom through three movements: Kalayaang Magsibat (freedom to enter), Kalayaan