Yup you'll need to be working, primarily because you'll need to visit her to see if the "virtual attraction" is real face to face.
It will be hard carrying on a long distance relationship for 2-3 years unless you can afford to travel to the Philippines often.
In my situation, after our initial meeting I went back 3 months later and brought her to the UK to live.
Bear in mind you are unlikely to be able to get her a visitors visa to come to the UK so the onus will be on you to go out there.
If you do get on, want to marry, bring her to the UK it's going to cost you thousands in fares and immigration visas.
There's lots of info on this forum about the process but the costs keep increasing exponentially.
Good luck. If it all works out you'll be a very lucky man.
