MANILA, Philippines — Grab Philippines and Move It, in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), have inaugurated the Asenso Center in Marikina City — the first livelihood hub of its kind across Grab’s Southeast Asia network.
The one-hectare facility is designed to professionalize the onboarding of platform workers and micro-entrepreneurs, expand AI-driven income opportunities, and streamline access to government social protection programs through guided enrollment with the Social Security System (SSS), Pag-IBIG Fund, and PhilHealth.
The center also offers micro-insurance and welfare protection in partnership with Chubb and AXA. Grab Philippines Country Managing Director Ronald Roda said the Asenso Center translates the company’s decade-long experience in the platform economy into practical action.
“Grab is one of the Philippines’ most mature platform-work ecosystems, and that gives us a precise, ground-level understanding of what Filipino platform workers and micro-entrepreneurs truly need to thrive,” Roda said. “The Asenso Center turns that insight into action — opening dignified, digitally powered livelihoods and equipping our partners with practical AI co-pilots to help families convert opportunity into income at scale.”
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the initiative aligns with the agency’s push to generate eight million digital livelihoods nationwide.
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“In every trip you take, there’s a child who gets to eat, tuition that gets paid, and medical bills that are resolved — that is the future,” Aguda said. “This is real change. Most services are already digital; what we need now is to spread it. This is the new Philippines.”
Expanding AI-enabled earning opportunities
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The Asenso Center supports Grab’s pledge to help create 500,000 livelihood opportunities in partnership with the government.
The company said it has already achieved 73% of that target, positioning it to exceed its goal ahead of schedule. Merchant participation is also rising, with Community Merchants up 30% year on year as more entrepreneurs formalize their online operations.
AI integration lies at the core of the Asenso Center’s model. Partners can access mobile-first tools such as the Merchant AI Assistant and AI Driver Companion, supported by training to ensure responsible and safe use.
Merchants use the AI Assistant to automate menu setup, generate marketing content, and analyze demand trends, while drivers receive real-time route optimization and demand hotspot guidance.
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Marvin Catimbang, Chief Operating Officer of Coffee Blanc and a GrabFood 5-Star Eats merchant-partner, said the AI tools have made daily operations more efficient.
“The Merchant AI Assistant is an incredible day-to-day help for us,” Catimbang said. “It saves time on manual tasks and provides consumer insights that are critical to business growth.”
Roda said AI should serve as a “force multiplier” for productivity, not a replacement for human work.
“Our goal is to make enterprise-grade tools accessible through a smartphone, raise standards of safety and service, and prepare Filipino workers for the rising AI economy,” he said.
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Grab said the productivity model of its platform allows active partners working at least eight hours a day to earn family-sustaining incomes, with many exceeding that benchmark depending on demand and service type. Move It rider-partner and community leader Nica “Khang” Brieta said her income as a motorcycle taxi rider has helped her pay for her education and support her family.
“Because of my earnings from Move It, I’ve been able to study and send my sister to school,” Brieta said. “As a solo parent, I can also cover my child’s medical needs. Move It empowers women like me to compete fairly on the road to provide for our families.”
To align flexible earnings with social protection, workers can choose when and how to contribute to SSS, Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth. Enrollment counters for these agencies are located within the Asenso Center alongside onboarding and skills assessments.
Grab and Move It also subsidize Pag-IBIG contributions and provide free life insurance for top-performing partners. Move It General Manager Wayne Jacinto said professionalization and protection are at the core of the partnership.
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“From safety training and service standards to modular benefits and on-trip coverage, the Asenso Center helps driver-partners build sustainable, future-proof livelihoods,” Jacinto said.
