Grab and MOVE IT Partner with ARK, Drive Urban Food Security Among Rider Communities

MANILA, Philippines, 03 March 2026  – Grab Philippines and MOVE IT have partnered with social impact innovator ARK Solves to launch a community-led food security program aimed at helping gig worker communities build more sustainable and self-reliant food sources.

At the center of the partnership is Feed Back, ARK Solves’ flagship community exchange program that enables families to grow fresh produce at home and share excess harvests with their neighbors, helping strengthen food access at the community level.

The collaboration comes amid continuing concerns over food security in the Philippines. While government data showed food inflation easing to 0.7 percent in January 2026, down from 1.2 percent in December 2025 and 4.0 percent a year earlier, the Department of Agriculture said the gains remain fragile and could easily be undone by renewed supply disruptions.

Grab Philippines Managing Director Ronald Roda shares: “Grab remains committed to helping our driver- and delivery-partners and their families stay resilient in the face of shifting macroeconomic realities. Beyond ensuring that livelihood opportunities on our platform remain viable, we believe it is equally important to introduce support programs that reinforce their long-term well-being. Through our partnership with ARK Solves, we hope to help more gig worker families build more sustainable lives and greater food security for the future.”

The partnership was formally launched with the support of the local government units of Montalban, San Mateo, and Antipolo in Rizal, where the program will be piloted among Grab and MOVE IT’s rider community. So far, almost 700 community leaders and rider-partners from the platforms have signed up and begun receiving seeds, along with training on how to grow food and compost even in small spaces.

“Community has always been at the heart of MOVE IT. Our rider-partners look out for each other, and we see that every day in how they support one another on and off the road,” highlights MOVE IT General Manager Wayne Jacinto. “Our role is not just to recognize that strong sense of solidarity, but to help harness it, so riders can come together and co-create sustainable programs that support their everyday needs.”

Over the course of the 16-week program, participating riders will help expand access to fresh produce within their households and communities. Once harvests are ready, they will lead weekly exchange activities in their neighborhoods, allowing families and neighbors to share surplus crops with one another.

“This partnership is a major milestone, as we work with Grab and MOVE IT in showcasing how we can enable Feed Back’s impact to thrive wherever it is needed the most, including urban areas,” says Ayesha Vera-Yu, CEO and Co-Founder of ARK.

By combining behavior-change principles with a market-based approach, Feed Back helps families build and sustain productive home gardens that strengthen access to localized food sources. The program, which gathers multiple partners, has since scaled to 120 communities across the country, benefiting more than 36,000 fishing and farming households.

Following the initial rollout, Grab, MOVE IT and ARK Solves plan to expand the program to more driver- and rider-rich communities in the months ahead, applying lessons from the pilot to improve the model as it scales.

From a Day’s Work to a Family’s Future: Grab and MOVE IT Partners Share How Earnings and Enabling Programs Lift Households

MANILA, PHILIPPINES 26 September 2025 - Across Philippine cities, GrabCar driver-partners, MOVE IT rider-partners, and GrabFood delivery-partners are showing how everyday work can power extraordinary progress. That arc — from hustle to upward mobility — takes center stage in a special episode of Paano Ba ’To: The Podcast, where three partners, joined by their families, trace how viable earnings on the road — paired with enabling programs — are helping them pay for school, steady the household, and invest for the long term.  

Three families, three paths to progress

Issei Goto — “You don’t win unless you place a bet.”

A former office worker, Issei left salaried life in 2019 to drive with GrabCar. Within months he scaled from one to four vehicles, helped by GrabFinance Cash Loan with flexible terms aligned to his earnings — turning a leap of faith into stable, higher income for a young family. “Hindi ka mananalo kung hindi ka tataya,” he says, reflecting on that choice.

Marlo Gonzales — A father’s sacrifice, a daughter’s promise.

For MOVE IT rider-partner Marlo, every trip is about his family’s future. His daughter Genille earned a full scholarship through GrabScholar (Wave 3)—covering tuition, supplies, and a monthly allowance—so she can focus fully on school. “Proud po ako sa anak ko,” Marlo shares. Genille adds: “My goal is to give back everything my parents poured into me.”  

Fueling Hard Work with Opportunity and Support

- Household stability: Consistent, app-based earnings help families weather shocks—while flexible financing prevents debt spirals.  

-;Mobility through education: Scholarships ease the burden of tuition, letting students—and parents—focus on outcomes, not obstacles.  

- Pathways to assets: Sensibly structured loans convert income into productive assets (vehicles, rental units) that build resilience over time.  

Asenso Programs Shine Through the Stories of Issei, Lilybeth, and Marlo

- GrabFinance Cash Loan: Flexible, earnings-linked financing that gives driver-partners quick access to the lifelines they need to grow and manage their livelihoods.

- GrabScholar: A full-ride scholarship that covers tuition, school supplies, and a monthly allowance for the deserving dependents of Grab and MOVE IT partners — also open to the public for qualified applicants.

- Ka-Grab / Ka-MOVE IT Rewards: Incentive programs that boost take-home pay and celebrate partners who consistently deliver safe, reliable, and high-quality service.

Listen and watch the full episode on Facebook or Spotify. To learn more about the programs featured, visit Grab Asenso.

Kuya Kim Takes On MOVE IT’s Rider Onboarding, Proves It’s No Easy Pass

Manila, Philippines, 08 August 2025 – Homegrown motorcycle taxi platform MOVE IT, as part of its commitment to the high standards of road safety and industry-leading driver quality, teamed up with veteran journalist and motorcycle enthusiast Kuya Kim Atienza to have him personally experience the rigor of the platform’s driver assessment and onboarding process.

Known for his love of motorcycles and dedication to public service, Kuya Kim went through MOVE IT’s six-step rider onboarding program — proving firsthand that MOVE IT doesn’t hand out Ka-MOVE IT gear lightly.

In a recent vlog he posted on his Facebook page, Kuya Kim showed how he endured the six-part MOVE IT driver assessment process: 

-Document Screening: MOVE IT mandates 100% compliance for aspiring riders — including NBI, police, and CIBI clearance. - - All aspiring MOVE IT riders are required to undergo drug and health testing upon application and every six months thereafter.

- Vehicle Inspection: All units must pass roadworthiness checks aligned with standards of the Motorcycle Taxi Pilot Study.

- Skills Assessment: Kuya Kim took on real-world riding tests, including backriding drills, vehicle control, and road-readiness evaluations.

- Training & Orientation: He sat in a classroom session that covered road safety protocols, passenger service, and app navigation. Riders are also required to undergo an annual mandatory retraining program. 

- Account Activation: Only after clearing all prior stages is a rider's account activated.

- Gear Release: MOVE IT provides free, high-grade safety gear as part of its commitment to professionalizing moto-taxi riding. 

The Verdict: Even a veteran like Kuya Kim had to earn his stripes.

Alongside the vlog, Kuya Kim also unveiled I-Sumbong Mo sa MOVE IT — a new, accessible feedback channel on Facebook Messenger that lets passengers report safety-related concerns and driver-focused experience. This complements existing tools like in-app ratings and the “Report an Issue” feature.

‘Kayang-Kaya rin Namin 'Yan!’, Say Top Women Drivers, Riders on Grab and MOVE IT

MANILA, Philippines, 19 March 2023 – Grab Philippines and partner motorcycle taxi company MOVE IT recognized their top female driver- and delivery-partners on Sunday, March 17, at the Babae Ako, Babiyahe Ako: Women’s Month Event. Recognized for their exemplary performance, high order and ride completion, and positive customer rating, the awardees stand as paragons of female excellence on the road. 

Among the awardees is Veronica Arabe, a 66-year-old GrabTaxi driver-partner from Baguio City. “Bilang isang single parent, napakalaki po nang nabago sa aking buhay buhat noong ako ay nag-GrabTaxi. Isa po sa mga pinakamahalagang naidulot sa akin ng GrabTaxi ay ang pagpapatapos ko ng aking tatlong anak sa kolehiyo. Blessing po talaga ito sa aming mag-anak,” shares Arabe. Having started on the Grab platform in 2019, Arabe shares that Grab has made her more confident in steering the wheel daily, traversing roads safely and worry-free as she relies on features such as passenger identification, GrabMaps, and Share-Your-Ride. 

66-year-old Veronica Arabe proudly represents the Grab fleet from Baguio City, which she has been a part of since 2019

Joining Arabe in the roster of women driver honorees is the youngest GrabCar driver-partner in Iloilo City – 22-year-old Arianne Hinara Claire Geguera. Having just finished her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Criminology at the St. Therese MTC- Colleges, Geguera immediately joined GrabCar as she prepares for the next chapter in her career. “After graduation, sumali po ako agad sa GrabCar para maging driver-partner. Ito po ay para makapag-ipon ako pang-review at board exam. Nagiging stepping stone ko po ang Grab sa pag-fulfill po ng aking pangarap na maging parte ng Tri-Bureau.” Geguera shares she appreciates the flexibility of time being a GrabCar driver. Being her own boss, she gets to balance her own time as she allots some days for her board exam review. 

Arianne Hinara Claire Geguera joined the GrabCar fleet in Iloilo right after graduation to save up for her board exam expenditures

The top two-wheel women drivers also took center stage during the event, and one of them is Sheryl Barrantes from MOVE IT. Barrantes reveals that even though she has been with MOVE IT for just under a year, she has already seen  how she is able to achieve optimal earnings on the moto-taxi platform, which she uses to support her family. “Ang ganda po ng kita ko sa MOVE IT. Dito ko po kinukuha ang pang-dialysis ng aking tatay at ang pangangailangan naming sa araw-araw. Ang mga kagaya ko pong female MOVE IT riders na nandirito ngayon ang patunay na ang kalsada at ang pangraride-hailing ay di lamang para sa mga kalalakihan.” 

Sheryl Barrantes (center) supports the medical needs of her father through her earnings on the MOVE IT platform

Hailing from different backgrounds yet these brave, dedicated female drivers and riders share a loud and clear call for all current and aspiring women Ate Grab and Ate MOVE IT: “Kayang-kaya rin namin 'yan!”. Besides the awardees, thousands other women drivers from all over the Philippines flocked to the Metro Tent Convention Center in Pasig as the leading superapp and the homegrown moto-taxi company reiterated their commitment to creating inclusive livelihood opportunities for every Filipino – shaping a more gender-neutral transportation sector. 

Grab Philippines, together with MOVE IT, has recently rolled out a comprehensive Women Program under the social-upliftment campaign GrabAsenso. The key facets of the program include a series of trainings on topics like vehicle maintenance, first aid, and preventive servicing co-facilitated with agencies TESDA, MMDA and Philippine Commission on Women. The leading superapp has also officially activated its Women Preference Toggle – a new tech feature on the Grab driver app that is exclusive to women driver-partners. The Women Preference Toggle prioritizes the pairing of women drivers with female passengers, singinifcantly increasing the confidence of driver-partners in safely plying the roads of the metro.