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It often can be harder to hitch a ride if you are travelling in some of the isolated islands, which often do not have very good road infrastructures in the first place. You will find out about this especially if you are wishing to hitch a ride in a mountainous area, where their is often a lack of flowing traffic, and often fewer vehicles because fewer people actually have them in more rural areas. Again, public transportation is common even in these areas and you can often get yourself onboard a local jeep run or on a tricycle bike.
In crowded town areas near Manila, hitchhiking is also difficult. You will find yourself sticking your thumb out and down trying to avoid flagging down tricycles or jeepneys. In these areas with dense traffic, it is frustrating trying to get noticed by a private car that is surrounded by an army of tricycles.
The usual method of hitch-hiking amongst Filipinos is to flag down a truck. If it stops then it is prepared to give you a lift, and it is OK to get on the back. Drivers usually prefer like this than a lot of negotiating beforehand "can we get a ride, where are you going etc." Details can be sorted out through the window afterwards. Riding on the back of trucks is the most normal, and you should only climb into the cab if the driver invites you. If you are a foreigner it is quite likely you will be invited, though.
The word for hitch-hiking in Tagalog is "makasakay" which also works in the Visayan language spoken in the south, although on Mindanao "hitch na lang (just hitching)" is widely used. In the places in the North where Ilocano is spoken (including the Cordilliera mountains), you could try using the Ilocano word "makilugan". The verb "angkas" is also easy to remember and is widely understood by the locals.
There is a widespread practice of hitch-hiking amongst the punk community of the Philippines. For some, hitch-hiking everyday and asking for left-over food is a positive way of dealing with poverty, running away from unpleasant family situations and finding adventure. They also hitch-hike buses, climbing on the buses and then negotiating with the drivers to go a few kilometres for free, which often helps getting past the tricky bits to a place where the traffic is heavier, or getting out of cities. If you are a foreigner you will find bus conductors very reluctant to help you out this way, because they are also taking a risk themselves (there are also controllers emplyed by the bus company to check their work), and people expect that foreigners have some money. However, foreigners often get taken by private cars, which almost never happens for Filipino hitch-hikers.
