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.
Mature platform-work ecosystem
“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,” he added.
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.
Five-year goal
The Asenso Center supports Grab’s five-year goal of creating 500,000 digital livelihood opportunities, with 73 percent of that target already achieved. Participation among Grab’s community merchants has grown 30 percent year-on-year, as more MSMEs adopt digital platforms for sales and logistics.