QUEZON CITY, 27 October 2020 – Delivery companies honor their outstanding cyclist riders, naming them as nominees for the Padyak! Power to the People special awards of the Mobility Awards during the second installment of the Moving Towards Mobility webinar series.

Representatives from Grab Philippines, Foodpanda Philippines, Gofer, and Padyak Padala PH joined the online discussion to feature the stories of their cyclist messengers and delivery riders, who regularly deal with reckless drivers, weather traffic, heat, rain, and other road hazards, and who continuously face the threat of COVID-19 to deliver our much needed parcels.

The Padyak! Power to the People nominees come from different walks of life. Most are breadwinners of their families; there are also women cyclists, persons with disabilities (PWD), and young adults whose lives were affected heavily by the pandemic, and who pedaled for their families to survive and thrive.

“We chose our nominees based on their dedication, passion, and heart. All of our Foodpanda riders, and even those of all the companies here in the panel now, they are our heroes. Not just because they are now our frontliners amid the pandemic but because they are risking their lives for us to serve food on our tables and serve their communities. And as they said they’re doing this not just for the money but to serve their fellow Filipinos,” said Justine Ruth Bitancor, Community and Communication Executive of Foodpanda Philippines.

Rachelle Tan, Strategy and Planning Assistant Manager for GrabFood at Grab Philippines, stated, “People usually identify Grab with motorcycles, but in the spirit of giving people more livelihood opportunities, we opened GrabFood in the middle of last year to cyclists and even walkers. Roughly 15% of all our delivery partners are female and we hope to increase that in the future.”

The Mobility Awards aims to help prioritize the needs of the majority of Filipinos who do not have cars. This inaugural round is focused on cycling in Metro Manila, where 88% of households do not own cars.

“The government must create safe and separate lanes for bikers, not just riders. Let Metro Manila be a safe place for people to go around [in bicycles]. Some say we are not fit for this kind of transportation because of the heat, then let’s also not decrease trees on our roadsides. I hope our local chief executives and policymakers also put their heart into caring for these cyclists who only aim to make their families’ lives better,” said Jezza Mae Abalos, Dispatcher of GoFer.

Lucan Villanueva, Founder of Padyak Padala PH, a community bike courier service that was formed during the pandemic and only been operational for four months, said “The most important thing right now is to sustain the infrastructure. Many people want to bike to work but are held back by dangers of the road. Infrastructure should be the priority if we want a more bikeable community for all.”

The panel of judges for the Mobility Awards will evaluate the nominations submitted by the participating companies. The top three nominees will be announced as winners and will receive a Mobility Awards special jersey and cash prizes: P5,000 for third place, P8,000 for second place, and P10,000 for first place.

Apart from the Padyak! awards, the most-voted city, workplace, and commercial establishment will also be recognized through the People’s Choice awards. Today marks the last day of voting for this.

Winners for the Mobility Awards will be announced on Thursday, October 29, 10 AM-12 NN in a virtual discussion. Stay tuned to facebook.com/MobilityAwardsPH for updates.

The Mobility Awards is organized by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, MNL Moves, The Climate Reality Project-Philippines, and 350.org Pilipinas to inspire action, involvement, and coordination among local government units, workplaces, and commercial establishments aiming to improve conditions for urban mobility.

CONTACT: AC Dimatatac: media@icsc.ngo, +63 998 546 9788, +63 917 851 4890

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