'Babae ako, babiyahe ako!': Grab and MOVE IT celebrate top women drivers and riders
MANILA, Philippines – Grab Philippines and partner motorcycle taxi company MOVE IT recognized their top female drivers and delivery partners on Sunday, March 17, at the Babae Ako, Babiyahe Ako: Women’s Month Event.
Recognized for their exemplary performance, high order and ride completion and positive customer rating, the awardees stand as paragons of female excellence on the road.
Her stories on the road
Veronica Arabe
Among the awardees is Veronica Arabe, a 66-year-old GrabTaxi driver-partner from Baguio City. Teary-eyed, she shared that she was celebrating her birthday on the very same day with Grab and hundreds of women riders like her—loud and proud.
“Bilang isang single parent, napakalaki po nang nabago sa aking buhay buhat noong ako ay nag-GrabTaxi. Isa po sa mga pinakamahalagang naidulot sa akin ng GrabTaxi ay ang pagpapatapos ko ng aking tatlong anak sa kolehiyo. Blessing po talaga ito sa aming mag-anak,” shares Arabe.
Having started on the Grab platform in 2019, Arabe shares that Grab has made her more confident in steering the wheel daily, traversing roads safely and worry-free, as she relies on features such as passenger identification, GrabMaps and Share-Your-Ride.
Arianne Hinara Claire Geguera
Arianne Hinara Claire Geguera, 22 years old, joined the roster of women driver honorees as the youngest GrabCar driver-partner from Iloilo City. Having just finished her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Criminology at the St. Therese MTC-Colleges, Geguera immediately joined GrabCar as she prepares for the next chapter in her career.
“After graduation, sumali po ako agad sa GrabCar para maging driver-partner. Ito po ay para makapag-ipon ako pang-review at board exam. Nagiging stepping stone ko po ang Grab sa pag-fulfill po ng aking pangarap na maging parte ng Tri-Bureau.”
What she loves the most about being a GrabCar driver is that she enjoys the flexibility of time. She sees it as “being her own boss,” as she gets the chance to take full control of her schedule to allot time for her board exam review. In turn, she’s able to support her family in ways she didn’t think would be possible.
Sheryl Barrantes
The top two-wheel women drivers also took center stage during the event, and one of them was Sheryl Barrantes from MOVE IT. Barrantes reveals that even though she has been with MOVE IT for just under a year, she has already achieved optimal earnings on the moto-taxi platform, which she uses to support her family.
“Ang ganda po ng kita ko sa MOVE IT. Dito ko po kinukuha ang pang-dialysis ng aking tatay at ang pangangailangan naming sa araw-araw. Ang mga kagaya ko pong female MOVE IT riders na nandirito ngayon ang patunay na ang kalsada at ang pangra-ride-hailing ay di lamang para sa mga kalalakihan.”
Hailing from different backgrounds, these brave, dedicated female drivers and riders share a loud and clear call for all current and aspiring women Ate Grab and Ate MOVE IT: “Kayang-kaya rin namin 'yan!”.
Safer rides for Filipinas all over the country
When asked about the challenges they face, many female riders cite one fear: the potential dangers on the road. For many of them, however, communities exist to keep each other safe. When resiting in between rides, they can count on each other—and other riders—to create safe spaces.
Their presence, in turn, also helps female passengers and customers feel more confident and secure. In line with this, Grab and MOVE IT are also fortifying women-led and women-only driver communities to strengthen the camaraderie and support system among its female partners behind the wheel.
Grab takes its safety commitment further by launching another feature on the leading superapp—the Women Passengers Preferred Toggle. This is a new tech feature on the Grab driver app that is exclusive to women driver-partners. The Women Passengers Preferred Toggle prioritizes pairing women drivers with female passengers, significantly increasing driver-partners confidence in safely plying the roads of the metro.
Changing the course of the transportation sector
Besides the awardees, thousands of other women drivers from all over the Philippines flocked to the Metro Tent Convention Center in Pasig as the leading super app, and the homegrown moto-taxi company reiterated their commitment to creating inclusive livelihood opportunities for every Filipino—shaping a more gender-neutral transportation sector.
Grab Philippines, together with MOVE IT, has recently rolled out a comprehensive Women's Program under the social upliftment campaign GrabAsenso. The key facets of the program include a series of trainings on topics like vehicle maintenance, first aid and preventive servicing co-facilitated with agencies TESDA, MMDA and the Philippine Commission on Women.
As the end of Women’s Month draws closer, Grab Philippines invites women who wish to contribute to the transportation sector to trust their gut and hop on the ride—because they can, too.
Editor's Note: This press release is sponsored by Grab Philippines.
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