Grab Philippines is strengthening its footprint in Pampanga with the launch of Grab Asenso: Digital Diskarte Program, a flagship initiative focused on upskilling local entrepreneurs and providing them with mobile-first digital tools.
Since GrabCar’s entry in 2019, Pampanga has become one of the company’s strongest provincial hubs. Nearly half of Luzon’s 20,000 driver- and delivery-partners are based here, alongside 3,000 Kapampangan restaurants and grocery shops that thrive with GrabFood, GrabExpress, and GrabMart.
CJ Lacsican, Vice President for Cities at Grab, explained, “Through Grab Asenso, we aim to empower MSMEs with digital-first skills and technology so they can thrive in today’s fast-changing economy.”
What the Program Offers
– Asenso Learning Caravan: A mobile-first capacity-building program with modules on digital marketing, AI 101, and financial growth planning.
– Asenso Tools: Practical features inside Grab Merchant like Tap & Scan To Pay, Income Protection Coverage, and the new AI Assistant (BETA) that helps merchants with customer insights and business suggestions.
DICT has endorsed the program, calling it an example of digital bayanihan, while Angeles City Vice Mayor Amos Rivera emphasized its importance for MSMEs in the city’s economic agenda.
The initiative is also producing success stories like Kuya Jeck’s Tapsilogan, a tapsihan that grew from one store to three branches with Grab’s support. Morgen Kaffee, a Grab Exclusive merchant, is another example of how Kapampangan businesses can scale with digital tools.
Grab Asenso will expand to Cavite, Baguio, Iloilo, Bacolod, and Cagayan de Oro, aiming to replicate Pampanga’s digital success story nationwide.
