Grab Philippines brought its Grab Asenso: Digital Diskarte Learning Caravan back to Cebu City for a second year on Oct. 27, drawing more than 100 local food businesses and guests to Baseline Citadines, according to The Manila Times. The session trained micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in artificial intelligence, digital marketing, branding, content creation, product photography and social media strategy.
The program was run with the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, The Manila Times reports. Organizers urged Cebu's MSMEs to build up their digital capabilities and take on emerging technologies so they can run smoother operations, reach more customers and remain competitive.
Why it matters
MSMEs make up more than 80 percent of active food merchants on GrabFood in Cebu, the company says — a figure that shows how much of the city's food trade rests on small operators. Giving those entrepreneurs digital skills is therefore less about a single training day than about the durability of a large slice of the local food economy.
Kyna Ong, Grab Philippines' regional manager for the Visayas, said the goal is to put the same capabilities within reach of businesses whatever their size. She described Grab Asenso as an effort to create conditions in which every enterprise, large or small, can grow, by opening up the skills and tools that larger companies already rely on to more local owners.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival welcomed the initiative, saying it can help local businesses expand while strengthening the city's economy and generating jobs. He said growing enterprises in turn help create more lasting employment for residents.
Three tools put in front of merchants
The caravan walked participants through three Grab business products. The GrabMerchant AI Assistant takes on routine work such as managing menus and operating hours. GrabAds Spotlight Campaigns are designed to raise a merchant's visibility on the platform. Tap & Scan to Pay lets a business accept QR code and card payments using a smartphone.
Attendees included GrabFood 5-Star Eats merchant-partners, who are recognized for consistently high ratings, along with other homegrown MSMEs and Only On Grab merchants whose offerings are sold exclusively through the platform.
Established Cebu food businesses also took the floor to explain how digital platforms and customer data have shaped their decisions on products, operations and expansion. The Abaca Group, founded in Mactan in 2006, runs Abaca Baking Company, Maya and Tavolata. It joined GrabFood in 2020 and has since become one of the platform's strongest-performing brands in the Visayas, using customer insights to design items suited to online orders and to refine packaging and restaurant operations.
Hukad, a Filipino and Visayan family-style dining brand, has worked with Grab since 2019 alongside sister brands An'ndale, Gana Bowls and Kushi Izakaya. Its business analytics help the company gauge customer demand and pick possible sites as it expands in Cebu and Mindanao.
Dessert Factory, which started as a small cake shop at Ayala Center Cebu in 2003, has grown into a regional dining brand. It joined Grab in 2018 and became an Only On Grab merchant-partner in 2021. Owner Dr. Rachel Yang Lim said the partnership has helped the business reach more customers and given it access to operational guidance and merchant development opportunities. She said AI is the next frontier for every business and that the company is keen to learn how such tools can improve customer service without compromising on quality.
A nationwide push
The Cebu stop is part of a wider Grab Asenso learning initiative that reached 10 cities in 2026, including Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio and Puerto Princesa. Pampanga and other communities are lined up for later activities.
Through the program, Grab says it aims to widen access to digital skills training and business technology among homegrown enterprises across the country.
Watch for the next caravan stops in Pampanga and beyond, and for whether the merchants trained in Cebu put the AI and marketing tools to measurable use.
