By Monsi A. Serrano
Grab Philippines and MOVE IT, in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), have officially launched the Asenso Center, the first livelihood hub of its kind in the country and Grab’s Southeast Asia network.
The one-hectare facility is designed to professionalize the onboarding of platform workers and entrepreneurs, accelerate AI-driven income opportunities, and streamline access to social protection programs such as SSS, Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth. It also provides microinsurance and welfare coverage through Chubb and AXA, offering a holistic support ecosystem for digital workers.
Grab Philippines Country Managing Director Ronald Roda said the Asenso Center transforms the company’s on-ground insights into tangible empowerment.
“Grab is one of the Philippines’ most mature platform work ecosystems, giving us a ground level understanding of what Filipino platform workers and micro-entrepreneurs truly need to thrive,” Roda said. “The Asenso Center opens dignified, digitally powered livelihoods, equips our partners with practical AI copilots, and helps families convert opportunity into income at scale.”
Meanwhile, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda underscored the vital role of the gig economy in improving the lives of Filipino families, calling Grab and MOVE IT partners the “frontline of the digital economy.”
“In every trip you take, there’s a child who gets to eat, tuition that gets paid, and medical bills that are settled, that’s what real change looks like,” Aguda remarked. “You are the frontline of the digital economy.”
Aguda also emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration in achieving the DICT’s vision of creating millions of digital livelihoods across the country.
Apart from this, Secretary Aguda made a notable suggestion by encouraging Grab Philippines to consider going public through an initial public offering (IPO), emphasizing that such a move would open more avenues for Filipinos to invest and co-own a company that directly empowers people through job creation and inclusive participation in the gig economy.
“An IPO for Grab Philippines would allow the public to take part in its success story,” Aguda said. “It’s a chance for ordinary Filipinos to invest in a company that not only drives innovation but also transforms lives by creating sustainable digital livelihoods.”
A Flagship for Professionalized AI Driven Livelihoods
The Asenso Center supports Grab’s commitment to create 500,000 livelihood opportunities under its partnership with the national government. The company has already reached 73 percent of its five-year goal and is on track to exceed the target ahead of schedule.
Merchant participation is also on the rise, with the number of Community Merchants increasing by 30 percent year on year as more local MSMEs formalize their businesses online.
The facility integrates AI enablement into partner development through mobile-first tools such as the Merchant AI Assistant and AI Driver Companion, both designed to help partners work more efficiently and responsibly.
“Used responsibly, AI becomes a force multiplier — an exponent on every hour of work online,” Roda explained. “Our goal is to make enterprise-grade tools accessible through a smartphone, raise standards of safety and service, and broaden participation in the growing AI economy.”
Among those using the Merchant AI Assistant is Marvin Catimbang, Chief Operating Officer of Coffee Blanc and a GrabFood 5-Star Eats Merchant Partner, who said the tool automates daily tasks and helps analyze consumer insights critical to business growth.
Viable Earnings and Accessible Protection
Grab said platform productivity is structured so that active partners working at least eight hours a day can achieve family-sustaining income levels with many surpassing this threshold depending on demand, service type, and time of day.
MOVE IT rider partner and community leader Nica “Khang” Brieta shared how her earnings have supported her education and family.
“Dahil po sa kita ko sa MOVE IT, napag-aral ko po ang aking sarili pati ang aking kapatid. Nasisiguro ko rin na natutustusan ko ang medikal na pangangailangan ng aking anak. Sa MOVE IT, empowered kaming mga kababaihan na makipagsabayan sa kalsada para kumita nang patas para sa aming mga pamilya.”
For his part, MOVE IT General Manager Wayne Jacinto emphasized that professionalization and protection must go hand in hand.
“From safety training and service standards to modular benefits and on-trip coverage, the Asenso Center helps driver partners build sustainable, future proof livelihoods,” he said.
The Asenso Center also integrates social protection enrollment directly into its onboarding process, enabling partners to register for SSS, Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth while opting for private insurance coverage. For top performing partners, Grab and MOVE IT subsidize Pag-IBIG contributions and provide free life insurance in addition to standard on-trip protection.
Grab’s responsible AI framework follows four guiding principles: improve safety, protect privacy, keep people in control, and make learning simple — reinforcing its commitment to ethical innovation.
“AI should reward effort, not replace it,” Roda concluded. “Our role is to lower the barrier to entry into the AI economy, protect user trust, and ensure that Filipino workers and MSMEs capture the full benefit of digital transformation.”