Grab Philippines, together with MOVE IT and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), has launched the Asenso Center in Marikina City, a first-of-its-kind livelihood hub aimed at scaling AI-enabled gig work and digital entrepreneurship in the country.

Spanning one hectare, the Asenso Center is designed to professionalize platform-based work, accelerate AI-powered earning opportunities, and provide streamlined access to social protection through enrollment assistance for SSS, Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth, complemented by micro-insurance coverage from Chubb and AXA.

“Grab is one of the Philippines’ most mature platform-work ecosystems, and that gives us a precise, ground-level understanding of what Filipino platform workers and micro-entrepreneurs truly need to thrive,” said Grab Philippines Country Managing Director Ronald Roda. “The Asenso Center turns that insight into action. It opens dignified, digitally powered livelihoods, equips our partners with practical AI co-pilots, and helps families convert opportunity into income at scale.”

DICT Secretary Henry Aguda, who led the launch with Roda and Marikina City Mayor Maan Teodoro, said the initiative highlights the gig economy’s central role in the country’s digital transformation. “In every trip you take, there’s a child who gets to eat, tuition that gets paid, and medical bills that are settled—that’s the future. This is what real change looks like—you are the frontline of the digital economy,” Aguda said.

The Asenso Center supports Grab’s five-year goal of creating 500,000 digital livelihood opportunities, with 73% of that target already achieved. Participation among Grab’s community merchants has grown 30% year-on-year, as more MSMEs adopt digital platforms for sales and logistics.

The facility also integrates AI training and tools into Grab’s ecosystem. Merchants can access a Merchant AI Assistant to automate promotions, menus, and marketing content, while drivers use an AI Driver Companion for real-time route optimization and demand insights. Both tools are designed to raise productivity and help partners earn more efficiently.

“Used responsibly, AI becomes a force multiplier—an exponent on every hour of work online,” Roda said. “Our goal is to make enterprise-grade tools accessible on a smartphone, raise standards of safety and service, and broaden the preparedness and participation of our partners in the rising AI economy.”

Beyond digital tools, the Asenso Center enables gig workers to access formal social protection. Partners can opt into government programs and private insurance based on their income levels and needs. For high-performing partners, Grab and MOVE IT subsidize Pag-IBIG contributions and provide free life insurance alongside standard trip coverage.

Roda said Grab’s AI framework is guided by four key principles: improving safety, protecting privacy, keeping users in control, and ensuring accessibility. “AI should reward effort, and not replace it,” he said. “Our responsibility is to lower the barrier to entry for the AI economy, protect user trust, and ensure Filipino workers and MSMEs capture the upside.”