Airbnb in Metro Manila / Sharing Economy in the Philippines

How do sharing economy platforms in Metro Manila compare to the Global North in terms of its
sustainability claims?

In comparison to the Global North, the sharing economy in Metro Manila is still at its
infancy, lacking diversity in sectorial representation and business model. Currently, there are
sharing economy platforms in 8 sectors: transportation, services, goods, logistics, food and
learning sectors, with the transportation sector having the most number of platforms and the
learning sector the least. All of these platforms aim to help address problems that fail to satisfy
the basic needs and services of Metro Manila citizens. This includes inefficient public
transportation, unemployment, and expensive products and services. Furthermore, unlike in
the Global North, all except one sharing economy platforms in Metro Manila require monetary
payments while none are exclusively catering to luxury products and services. (Roxas, 2016)

The sharing economy in Metro Manila is positioned as a complementary or alternative

to existing services, not as a substitute. Further, most platforms target specific and underserved
markets that enable the sharing economy to enjoy a passive shield, effectively avoiding the
direct scrutiny and the immediate opposition from incumbent industries. The sharing economy
benefit from this protective space as it further develops its own products and services. This
continuous act of innovation is innately part of the design of these sharing economy platforms,
particularly through the rating and reputation system. Sharing economy platforms also partner
with broad and diverse regime actors. However, while all these would have been generally
viewed as good from the business perspective, both these shielding and nurturing processes
are not directed towards replacing the currently unsustainable standards.

Hence, the sharing economy is utilising fit and conform empowerment strategies that makes it
more susceptible to adhering to conventional standards that are not likely to be characterized
by sustainability. (Roxas, 2016)
 Direct resistance by existing industries to sharing economy initiatives is currently
unheard of except for the transportation sector. On the other hand, it is likely that the
Philippine government will be more supportive of the sharing economy given that it fuels
creativity and economic activity, and pushes industries to deliver better and more efficient
services. Also its association to the innovations economy makes it more appealing to
investors and policy makers. (Roxas, 2016)

For transportation, Filipinos living in Metro Manila can rely on Angkas, an online
motorcycle booking service, aside from Grab and Uber. Tripid, a wordplay of trip and Filipino
word tipid or cheap, also offers carpooling services to allow Filipinos traveling the same routes
to share rides and cut transportation costs. For product and service sharing, one can visit
Magpalitan.com, which allows the swapping, exchange, and trading of products and services
online. For accommodation, flyspaces.com allows you to pick workspaces in Metro Manila and
Cebu without hassle. The said website targets to assist the micro, small, and medium
enterprises, which are expanding in key urban areas. The services these Filipino startup firms
offer reflect the magnitude of opportunities that collaborative economy presents to the Filipino
entrepreneurs. (Valencia, 2017)