MANILA, Philippines— In light of the devastation brought by the recent Typhoon Odette, Grab Philippines rolls out key initiatives to help drive the ongoing recovery efforts in Cebu. These initiatives aim to (1) provide Cebuanos with greater access to basic necessities, and (2) support the recovery of local businesses and microentrepreneurs.

Cebu is key to Grab’s journey in the Philippines, and with the many challenges that the province continues to face, Grab is committed to help uplift the everyday lives of Cebuanos by leveraging its superapp and platform. When Typhoon Odette hit the country, Grab immediately partnered with the Philippine Red Cross and Ronald McDonald Kindness Kitchen where users can donate to the respective relief operations through GrabPay and GrabRewards Points.

1. Providing greater access to basic necessities. With electricity and network reception still intermittent in Cebu, Grab continues to support its Cebuano stakeholders through the following measures: 
   1. Grab has dedicated its Cebu office to serve as a support hub for driver- and delivery-partners in need of power supply and network reception for their devices. Grab has also partnered with Phoenix Petroleum for dedicated refuelling slots for driver and delivery-partners. 
   2. In partnership with local small and medium businesses in Cebu, Grab is fully-funding a consumer campaign offering 20% off on all GrabFood orders until February 2022, and will also provide affordable meal options to Cebuanos through GrabFood.  These initiatives will leverage the power of the Grab platform to provide Cebuanos with greater access to a wide selection of affordable meals while spurring the recovery of many local businesses and microentrepreneurs in Cebu.
2. Activated recovery programs to help local businesses and microentrepreneurs. Typhoon Odette has impacted many businesses in the region – and as such Grab Philippines leveraged its superapp and platform to support their recovery regardless of their affiliated platform:
   1. Grab’s Cebu Operations Team continues its regular visits to MSMEs and driver- and delivery-partners to check on their needs and provide much needed support and assistance. Local businesses and microentrepreneurs in need of assistance – regardless of their affiliated platform, can reach out to grb.to/bangoncebu and Grab will immediately deploy its team to support them.
   2. Grab driver- and delivery-partners can claim their Calamity Assistance from Grab through the GrabCare Package which also includes emergency top-up, hospital assistance, and vehicle repair assistance. A dedicated team has been activated to better facilitate the processing of applications so that partners can receive the support within days. Apart from that, Grab is also providing SIM cards with built-in data package that driver, delivery, and merchant-partners can use and top-up through the Grab Cebu Office.

[Cebuano] “Thankful kaayu ko nga nahatagan me kay dako kaayu tong tabang namu ..Mao toy gigamit namu ato nga time sa among daily needs kay walang wala jud me ato ug na share pa nako sa akung pamilya dikto sa southern Leyte. Kay usa pud sila sa na grabehan jud sa bagyong Odette,” said Grab driver-partner Jonathan Miole.  

[English] “We are grateful for the support Grab has given us during these difficult times. Through GrabCare, I was able to access their calamity assistance package to support my family right after the typhoon hit Cebu. Although I do not have much, I was able to sustain my livelihood and extend some help to my family in Southern Leyte who was also affected by Typhoon Odette,”  said Grab driver-partner Jonathan Miole.

“We, at Noy’s, feel Grab’s sincerity in being a partner for growth. Programs initiated by Grab since the pandemic in 2020 to ensure the safety, reliability, and growth of their riders, customers, and partner-merchants are consistent, and we experienced this first-hand when they helped us reopen our store after being destroyed by Typhoon Odette. We are thankful for Grab’s continued support to us and many local businesses in Cebu and we are hopeful that we can recover and grow with the help of Grab,“ says Ian Go of Noy’s Yellow Chicken. 

“Our kababayans have gone through so many hardships – both from the pandemic and natural calamities, and we are determined to continuously help uplift their lives even during these challenging times. We are optimistic that these initiatives will make a huge impact in the ongoing recovery efforts in Cebu, and we will continue to engage with our kababayans so that we can continuously tailor our efforts towards building a safer and more prosperous Cebu for everyone,” says Grab Philippines Country Head Grace Vera Cruz.