GrabFood Philippines head EJ Dela Vega (right) says Cebu has innovative and a creative food landscape.| Photo by Irene Sino-Cruz
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The latest online service offered by Grab in two cities in Cebu would boost earnings for food businesses and provide alternative livelihood for habal-habal drivers.
According to EJ Dela Vega, GrabFood Philippines head, Grab is no longer just a transport platform app.
The company now has an application that enables residents of the cities of Cebu and Mandaue to have their favorite food delivered to where they are.
“Our goal as (the) Filipino’s everyday super app is to provide greater convenience to more people using our daily tech solutions,” Dela Vega said in a briefing on Thursday, January 17.
Aside from providing additional service to Filipinos, he said, they also hoped to help smaller food merchants to expand their market reach, instead of just relying on their physical stores.
With GrabFood, they would now have an online storefront, allowing them to even reach more consumers and increase their revenues, he added.
In just six months since its beta launch in Metro Manila, GrabFood’s completed orders grew 12 times, making it the leading food delivery service in the Philippines, according a GrabFood statement.
It now has 4,000 partner merchants in Metro Manila and serves 11 areas such as Bonifacio Global City, Makati, Ortigas, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, Manila, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Pasay and Marikina.
The food delivery app aims to replicate its success in Metro Manila here in Cebu, which the company considers as a strategic market because of Cebuano’s strong support for homegrown food merchants.
Dela Vega also cited the innovative and creative food landscape in Cebu and the unique food selection available here that could not be found in Metro Manila.
Cebuanos, he said, are also known for their discerning taste, basing their choices on good food and value for money.
Dela Vega disclosed that they implemented the beta in the two key Cebu cities in November last year.
Aside from enabling small food merchants, GrabFood also provides a sustainable source of livelihood for habal-habal drivers who will join as delivery partners.
The best performing delivery partners earn up to twice the average minimum national wage, Dela Vega said.
So far, Grab has partnered with 1,000 merchant in Cebu, which also includes local brands such as Dimsum Break, Zubuchon, Bubble Tea Station and Sugbo Mercado. Soon, international brands such as MacDonald’s and BonChon in Cebu will be among their partners.
GrabFood can be found in the same Grab app used to book a ride.
“From the home screen, our consumers can easily choose Food from the services menu, and they will get access to a variety of restaurants and food partners near their area,” Dela Vega said./dbs