Grab enters Iloilo, eyes Legazpi, Davao

MANILA, Philippines — Ride-hailing firm Grab Philippines has started to offer its mobility services in Iloilo, providing commuters in the province another viable mode of transport.

Grab Philippines country manager Grace Vera Cruz said their services will be offered to Ilonggos starting today, in line with the company’s efforts to expand operations outside Metro Manila.

Starting with a fleet of 100 units, these will mostly be stationed in the vicinity of the Iloilo International Airport to serve the transport needs of arriving tourists.

Cruz said they will increase that fleet as soon as possible, especially as Iloilo is one of the high-growth areas outside Metro Manila. Also, Grab expects demand for its ride-hailing services to go up once the Iloilo market gets accommodated to its presence.

“We don’t have a target per se [on how many units we want], but we want to be able to serve the demand. We don’t have a set target for Iloilo, but we want to serve our commuting public well,” Cruz said on the sidelines of the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum yesterday.

“I think right now demand is really more than what our 100 drivers can deliver and I’m worried that when we launch it on Friday it will fall short [of the requirement],” she said.

Cruz said the franchises of the 100 units in Iloilo came from the 8,000 transport network vehicle service (TNVS) slots opened by the government in 2022.

“That was part of the opening last year–the 8,000 slots released last year–but it took us a while [to fill them up],” the Grab executive said.

Looking ahead, Grab hopes to introduce its app-based transport to Legazpi City as part of plans to expand operations. Likewise, it seeks to bring its point-to-point services in Mindanao, starting with Davao City.

“We also have [plans for] Legazpi in Bicol and we are hoping for Davao. We are really hoping to enter Davao and other areas in Mindanao,” Cruz said.

Last week, Grab Philippines senior director for operations Ronald Roda announced that they have initiated discussions with the local governments of Cagayan de Oro, Davao City and Iligan City for the company’s proposed entry.

Grab hopes to allocate some of the TNVS slots it received from the government in provinces where it plans to launch its transport services.