The holiday season is a cherished time for Filipinos, and here it starts early—often as soon as the “ber” months arrive in September. This long holiday lead-up sees family, friends, and balikbayans excitedly preparing for festive gatherings and reunions, even as they brace for the annual surge in traffic and delivery delays.

To help smooth out these holiday hurdles, Grab Philippines has introduced several solutions aimed at creating seamless experiences for both customers and driver-partners, as revealed in a recent media briefing on November 11. Ronald Roda, Country Head of Grab PH, said they have started preparing since January 2024 to manage the holiday demand for rides and food deliveries.

According to Roda, ride bookings typically jump by 45% in December, while demand for food deliveries spikes by 20% on key holiday dates. A recent survey also shows that 44% of Grab users rely on the app for their holiday meal deliveries. “For some, the holiday season lasts two or three months. For Grab, it’s a journey that spans over 10 months with meticulous planning,” Roda said. “We’ve worked with regulators to balance demand and supply and launched new tech to enhance the holiday experience for everyone.”

Here’s how Grab is making the season bright for both customers and driver-partners:

1. Enhancing accessibility

• Group Order: Easily coordinate orders for family and friends, with discounts for larger groups
• GrabFood Saver: A budget-friendly option for delivery, ideal for cost-conscious consumers
• GrabUnlimited: A subscription offering free delivery, exclusive discounts, and new daily savings on GrabCar rides
• Large Orders: Conveniently handle bulk orders for parties
• GrabCar Saver: A cost-effective ride option with a slightly longer wait time

With 83% of users planning gatherings with loved ones, these features make it easier for families and friends to dine together. Grab is also expanding its dining options, with new “Dine Out Deals” in key areas like Maginhawa, Bonifacio High Street, and Poblacion.

“We want to be where people go to celebrate. For this season, we’re partnering with more restaurants, hotels, and other merchants,” said Greg Camacho, Director for Deliveries and Strategies.

2. Boosting reliability

• Group Rides: Perfect for group travel, enabling multiple passengers to share a ride
• Advance Booking: Reserve rides up to a week in advance, ensuring timely airport transport
• Multi-Service Type Booking: Select various ride types in one booking to streamline demand.

For holiday gatherings, typically averaging 15 people, these features ensure reliable transportation. Grab PH is also in discussions with new airport management to improve driver experience and efficiency at pick-up points.

3. Ensuring safety

• Audio Protect: An opt-in feature to record audio during rides, enhancing safety for passengers and drivers.
• Family Account: A shared account feature for families, making ride management easier and safety monitoring accessible.
• Trip Monitoring: Real-time tracking of rides, providing peace of mind.

EJ Dela Vega, Director for Mobility, said these safety features offer deterrence and awareness. “Our resources are dedicated to safety, and we hope these features are rarely needed, yet they’re crucial in ensuring a safer journey,” he said.

Optimizing Holiday Earnings

• Demand and Affordability: Ensuring fares remain fair during the busy season.
• New TNVS Slots: With additional driver-partners onboarded since August, Grab aims to meet rising demand.
• Traffic Monitoring: Accounting for holiday-induced congestion to maintain productivity for driver-partners.

Roda noted that the holidays can increase travel time by 14% for drivers. “We want our driver-partners to make the most of the increased demand, ensuring they can earn sufficiently for their families this season,” he added.

Through these innovations, Grab Philippines aims to create memorable, stress-free experiences for everyone. “Grab brings our kababayans closer to their loved ones, helping them create special holiday moments,” Roda said, summing up Grab’s holiday mission.

With its tech solutions and support mechanisms, the platform is optimistic that the local food industry can achieve the optimum reach and commercial activity necessary to promote the culinary identity of the country in the post-pandemic era. 

“A country’s culinary identity is a hallmark of its culture. This Filipino Food Month, GrabFood is proud to be a partner of Filipino restaurateurs in making sure that proudly Pinoy flavors get the attention and business they deserve as we transition to the post-pandemic era,” said Grab Philippines Director for Deliveries Greg Camacho.

Boosting success of Filipino MSMEs amid post-pandemic consumer behavior

The post-pandemic era is ushering in a shift in consumer behavior. According to a regional Grab study, 9 out of 10 consumers now prefer brands with an integrated online-to-offline experience – a clear indication of the clamor for digital convenience as people dine in-store. 

To ensure that Filipino food businesses, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), succeed during the post-pandemic consumer behavior shift, GrabFood has provided them with technology that enables them to better adapt to changing consumer needs. 

Through Scan-to-Order, Self Pick-Up, Find & Dine, and Mix & Match, GrabFood has handed Filipino merchants the power of digital convenience and created an agile food ecosystem that supports businesses, reinforces the country’s cultural identity and awakens people’s fascination with Filipino cuisine. 

Scan-to-Order is a dine-in solution that will allow consumers to both order and pay for dine-in orders using the Grab app, while Self Pick-Up allows consumers to order ahead and pick up their orders from merchants. These solutions enable consumers to skip queues in-store, and allow merchants to better manage their order capacity. Find and Dine, meanwhile, enables consumers to discover new restaurants around their vicinity, optimizing the discoverability of merchants present on the platform. Lastly, Mix & Match allows eaters to order from several merchants with just one order fee. 

Additionally, Grab has also designed accessible and hassle-free financing support geared at stimulating business recoveries such as quick cashouts, cash loans, and flexible schemes.

Through these solutions, GrabFood is optimistic that Filipino food businesses will make it through the post-pandemic era and continue to promote the culinary identity of the country.