Software developer turns to selling siopao amid AI job fears

“Software developer, gumagawa at nagtitinda ng siopao dahil baka next year wala [nang] trabaho,” he said in the post dated October 27.

Mariano added that he currently supplies siopao to Chinese restaurants in Pampanga, but he is open to shipping orders to Zambales and Manila. He sells a dozen for ₱500 but said he can lower the price to ₱60 to ₱80 per piece depending on the quantity, with a minimum order of 10 dozen.

Mariano said he had worked in software development for 10 years, but like many in the industry, he could face layoffs as companies favor AI integration into the workforce.

Replying to another netizen who shared concerns about the technology, Mariano joked that his siopao also contained AI, or “aromatic ingredients.”

Netizens said they could relate to Mariano’s plight amid a volatile job market and precarious work conditions.

“Licensed allied health care worker [but burnt out], now [a] factory worker [in] Europe. Half or more than half lang ang salary compare sa pagiging propesyunal healthcare worker,” shared one commenter.

“Same here kuya, nagbabake at nagbebenta ako ng cookies/pastries baka kasi next year biglang mawalan ng work,” said another Threads user.

Unemployment in August 2026 was slightly lower than July’s rate of 6.0%, at 5.9%. However, the rate remained notably higher than the 3.9% recorded in August 2025, reflecting the challenges many face in finding stable work and concerns about job security amid AI adoption.

In 2024, the International Monetary Fund estimated that 36%, or nearly four in 10, of jobs in the Philippines were at risk of displacement due to AI integration, amid the country’s massive business process outsourcing and software development industries.

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