Grab, Shell step up for Cebu’s delivery people

Giving a leg up to the drivers and riders who serve us

By Angel Rivero

WHILE WE’VE had many practical realizations borne out of this ongoing pandemic, one of the most glaring of them is the sheer importance of mobility. Private individuals need options for personal mobility, while businesses and emergency services likewise need reliable mobility in order to continue rendering their services. And among those who have stepped up their game to ensure uninterrupted mobility among Filipinos is Grab Philippines, one of Southeast Asia’s leading transport network vehicle services (TNVS).

Last Wednesday, Grab Philippines and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. — the country’s longest-running energy company — came together to make an announcement: They have partnered in order to better help support the province of Cebu in its socioeconomic recovery. They intend to play this supportive role via empowering more safe and reliable transportation and delivery services.

The new Mactan Bridge has opened even greater economic possibilities for Cebuanos, and with Pilipinas Shell enjoying the highest level of brand loyalty in Cebu, the company has in fact, opened four new fuel stations during this pandemic, and employed more than 100 people while doing so. And to up its game further, Shell is now collaborating with Grab Philippines to offer meaningful support to its thousands of drivers and delivery partners in Cebu.

Pilipinas Shell Vice-President for Retail and General Manager for Mobility Randy del Valle shared, “We welcome this opportunity to partner with Grab Philippines to help restore mobility and reinvigorate the economy of Cebu. We recognize the important part that their Grab driver- and delivery-partners play in restarting businesses and bringing essential goods and services to the public in a safe and reliable manner. Pilipinas Shell is committed to this partnership which will help mobilize this city’s progress and economic recovery for years to come.”

Among the benefits that Pilipinas Shell is now extending to Grab drivers in Cebu are exclusive fuel discounts at Shell stations and a special, dedicated bike lane for them at these stations so that they can avoid having to queue up behind cars during peak hours.

Grab drivers who fuel up a monthly average of at least 200 liters for six months in a row and delivery partners who fuel up a monthly average of at least 50 liters for six months in a row may also qualify for special insurance and telemedicine privileges through the Shell Go+ Pro Loyalty Program. Basically, it only calls for the installation of the Shell Go+ App, which was launched in the Philippines just a few months ago.

Grab drivers will also have the option of purchasing budget-friendly rice meals which go for as low as P30 each in Shell Select stores.

Moreover, Pilipinas Shell is also offering special Shell-subsidized scholarships for qualified children of Grab drivers and delivery partners in Cebu. This opportunity aims to help ease the burden on Grab driver parents so that they could make the most out of their earnings on Grab’s TNVS platform.

All these incentives will hopefully encourage more Grab drivers and delivery partners in Cebu to be out on the road, continuously serving both retail customers and local enterprises in their distribution chains. The goal is to help get local businesses back on their feet, to provide uninterrupted mobility options to Cebuanos, and to help more Grab drivers generate income along the way.

Grab Philippines Country Head Grace Vera Cruz reassures the public that “by working together with Pilipinas Shell on a range of meaningful initiatives, we are able to continue helping our driver and delivery partners with their everyday needs, and we hope that they will continue to be on the road to serve the needs of our kababayans in Cebu.”

Grab also expressed its pleasure in being able to partner with Pilipinas Shell, because “at Grab, we realized we cannot do it alone.”

Let’s all take the initiative to be kind to one another and to try to help each other more during these strange, unpredictable times.