MANILA, PHILIPPINES – As the country continues to adapt to new behaviors, foodpanda, the on-demand food delivery service in the Philippines, has been continuously spreading good vibes by ensuring the safety and well-being of their delivery riders who many people now consider as modern day heroes especially during this pandemic.
During the quarantine, the demand for food deliveries skyrocketed, and unfortunately, this demand came with a steady rise in order cancellations and no-show customers. However, foodpanda riders are never expected to shell out any money—the company itself shoulders these expenses.
foodpanda definitely is all about spreading good vibes by making sure that every rider has everything he or she needs to do their job as best as they can. To make sure that they can always stay connected, foodpanda partnered up with telecommunications providers Globe, PLDT-Smart, and Cherry Prepaid for exclusive deals to help its riders save up on their data consumption and communications expenses. This is one among many of the benefits that make riders like Maria Nazareth Gepayo proud of her pink panda shirt.
“foodpanda provides us with postpaid plans, meron ring discount sa gasoline station, tires, and many more! Ang dami!,” she says.
With the pandemic having a major impact on people’s wellbeing and safety, foodpanda riders have been thoroughly trained in new practices such as contactless delivery and sanitation. For foodpanda, it is very important to ensure the safety and health of their riders, that’s why rain or shine, riders are provided with weather gear for the season. Rider Stefhaniel Ong, who has been riding with foodpanda for a year and a month, testifies,
“Complete gear! And the most important [gear] para sa akin, na nakakatulong lalo’t ang panahon ay weather-weather, is yung poncho. Besides that, merong thermal bag (small for drinks and milktea, etc.), at big box bag for bulk orders.”
Lastly, to make sure that their riders really have good vibes, foodpanda has their insurance covered through its partnership with insurance company Manulife and Cebuana Lhuillier.
“Para sa akin, accident insurance ang pinaka importante sa lahat,” says Jemar Villocillo. Kasi hindi ko alam, at walang makakapagsabi, na sa araw-araw kong pagbiyahe ay ligtas ako makakauwi. Kaya ano man ang mangyari alam ko may makukuha akong tulong dito sa insurance na mayroon sa foodpanda.”
That said, you can be sure that the foodpanda rider delivering your favorite food and essentials is enjoying not just the job, but all the perks and benefits that come with it. This National Heroes Month, they’re definitely being treated like the heroes they are especially during these times. After all, not all heroes wear capes—some of them wear pink.
