AI-powered platform for Filipino blue-collar workers launched

A recruitment platform for Filipino blue-collar workers, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), was launched on Thursday, aiming to transform and streamline the sector’s fragmented hiring process.

Called KonekBuhay, the platform is designed for recruiters and employers seeking a faster, more structured way to screen and identify blue-collar workers, jobs typically associated to manual labor or skilled trades.

The platform said in a statement that it is poised to transform the long-overdue blue-collar hiring process in the country, as many organizations still rely on fragmented and manual recruiting methods, stalling productivity.

“Blue-collar workers are critical to business operations, yet they’re still hired through outdated methods and systems,” said Emman Dela Cruz, chief executive officer and co-founder of KonekBuhay.

“KonekBuhay is here to uplift these workers by giving them better access to opportunities and better jobs, while helping recruiters become more productive and intentional in how they hire people,” he added.

Through the platform, recruiters can organize and track applicants across multiple job openings in a single system, giving them better visibility and control at every stage of the hiring process.

It also integrates AI technology, which recruiters can use to review resumes, filter candidates, and generate reports, streamlining the hiring process.

For applicants, the platform has a Smart Resume feature that enables them to maintain a single, updated digital profile for multiple job applications.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) uses the Philippine Standard Occupational Classification (PSOC) to statistically classify different occupational groups of the working population, including the military workforce.

More than one-quarter, or 25.56% of the Philippine workforce belong to “elementary occupations,” jobs that require simple and routine tasks, according to the 2018 PSA report.

Meanwhile, 13.5% belong to skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishing occupations, 5.3% are service and sales workers, and the largest group, 62.3%, are wage and salary workers.

The country’s employment rate stood at 95.6% in November 2025, translating to 49.26 million employed Filipino workers. This figure slipped from 96.8% year-on-year but showed a slight improvement from 95% in October.

KonekBuhay said that it has begun onboarding recruiters and companies nationwide. Interested organizations may visit konekbuhay.com to learn more about the platform. — Edg Adrian A. Eva