Grab Philippines fully funded a one-month demand-boost campaign for select homegrown food merchants, helping local restaurants drive transactions without absorbing the cost of consumer discounts as inflation continued to push up utility bills and ingredient prices.
Rolled out from May 21 to June 20, the initiative helped participating restaurants sustain customer demand during a period of rising operating costs. The campaign delivered measurable results, with two in three participating merchants recording higher order volumes. Most of those businesses posted double-digit growth during the campaign.
Among merchants that recorded growth, order volumes increased by an average of about 30%, while the fastest-growing merchant-partners saw gains ranging from 145% to 158%.
“It’s easy to be a partner when times are good,” said Grab Philippines chief commercial officer E.J. Dela Vega. “But with utility and ingredient costs spiking, the daily math just wasn’t making sense for our local merchants. They didn’t need business advice; they needed actual orders and protected margins. By shouldering the cost of demand-boosting initiatives and providing a concentrated lifeline for those hit hardest, our goal was simple: help them keep their doors open.”
For independent operators, the support provided a much-needed buffer.
“The rising price of ingredients, especially meat, makes it costly to join discount promotions all the time,” said Joy Couture, owner of Harley’s Boulevard Motor Café in Davao. “Having Grab absorb the cost of this promotion was a big help. It boosted our brand’s visibility on the app and helped improve our sales over the past month.”
To further ease cash flow pressures amid rising energy costs, Grab also offered debt relief measures to severely affected merchant-partners, including alternative payment arrangements and loan holidays for eligible borrowers with existing cash loans.
Beyond immediate relief, Grab continues to support the long-term resilience of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through the Grab Asenso: Digital Diskarte Program, a public-private partnership with local government units that helps small businesses strengthen their digital capabilities through training in artificial intelligence, social media strategy, and digital marketing.
To support offline, dine-in operations, the company also offers Grab In-Store Solutions+, a suite that includes Grab Dine Out Deals and Grab Payment Solutions. The platform enables merchants to digitize checkout processes and manage targeted promotions aimed at increasing foot traffic.
Although the one-month campaign has concluded, the initiative builds on Grab’s broader efforts to support its ecosystem during periods of economic disruption. The company said the program reflects the rapid-response approach used for its ₱350-million Bayanihan Fund, which assisted drivers during previous fuel price spikes.
As economic conditions continue to evolve, Grab said it will keep monitoring their impact on merchants, drivers, and consumers while exploring targeted measures to help protect livelihoods and business operations.
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