Grab building livelihood hub in Marikina

BIG GOAL Grab Philippines aims to create jobs for 500,000 Filipinos. —Contributed PHOTO

Grab Philippines is building a 1-hectare livelihood hub in Marikina City to expand its network of drivers, riders and merchants, in line with its goal of providing 500,000 job opportunities in the country.

The operator of the ride-hailing app has broken ground for the facility that is set to be operational by first quarter next year.

The hub, dubbed as Grab Asenso Center, will offer programs in onboarding, skills training, road safety assessments and digital capacity building.

“The Grab Asenso Center will ensure [that] our partners—whether drivers, riders, or merchants—are equipped to succeed in today’s digital-first economy. This facility represents our commitment to uplift communities and empower everyday entrepreneurs to thrive,” Grab Philippine country head Ronald Roda says.

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Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista welcomes this initiative, adding this will aid in building a “professional transportation network.”

“App-based platforms like Grab are key drivers of inclusive growth, bridging technology and opportunity. Initiatives such as the Grab Asenso Center complement our efforts to modernize mobility while creating more dignified and sustainable livelihoods for transport workers,” he says.

The super app operator is building capacity amid the growing demand for its services that also include food and parcel delivery.

This month, for example, Grab estimates that ride bookings will grow by 45 percent this second and third week given the usual holiday rush.

“While we continue to prioritize the accessibility of our services, we are also closely monitoring the fairness of our fares to ensure that our driver-partners can earn sustainably and viably this holiday season,” Roda says.

For deliveries, the company projects a 20-percent increase in demand as 44 percent of the users rely on food delivery for convenience when holding gatherings.

In its Southeast Asia Food and Grocery Trends 2023 report, Grab found out that usual orders during Christmas include catering sets, cakes, pastries and frozen yogurt while consumers buy cupcakes, ice cream and desserts and pastries, among others, to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

GrabFood customers typically order burger, chicken sandwich, fried chicken, pasta, fries, hotdog, ice cream, dimsum, nuggets and caramel macchiato.

Some 89 percent of Grab users also use the app to discover new restaurants.