Last updated on October 1, 2020
Quezon City Small Business and Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office
pandaTODA
Because tricycle drivers were prohibited from transporting passengers during the Enhanced Community Quarantine and only 50% of them were allowed to operate during the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, foodpanda, an on-demand food delivery app, partnered with the Quezon City Government to launch the pandaTODA project in the city last May 22, 2020. The project sought to help QC tricycle drivers to earn income as food delivery drivers under foodpanda. Through the city’s Task Force for Transport and Traffic Management (TF-TTM), its Tricycle Regulation Division (TRD), and the Small Business and Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office (SBCDPO), QC tricycle drivers were able to register, receive training, and become foodpanda drivers.
After a month of screening, registration, onboarding, and activation, the target total of 500 pandaTODA drivers was reached on July 4, 2020. Given the agreement with foodpanda and QC tricycle drivers during that time not knowing when they would be allowed to operate, the pandaTODA project gave them an alternative livelihood to earn income sustainably for the foreseeable future.
There are three identifiable factors that led to pandaTODA’s success. First, the contractual agreement established together by the Quezon City Government and foodpanda was detailed and well defined. The terms of the agreement included the requirements to become a pandaTODA driver, the target number of tricycle drivers to be registered, the uniforms and thermo bags to be provided for free, and the duration of active service required by foodpanda. Second, there was strong coordination among SBCDPO, TRD, and foodpanda. This enabled the qualified drivers to be screened, registered, onboarded, and activated within just around a week. Third, the process itself was smooth. TRD took care of screening the tricycle drivers, SBCDPO handled their registration and training, and foodpanda helped onboard and activate them on the app as well as provide them with their free foodpanda gear.
Overall, the pandaTODA project was successful in providing 500 Quezon City tricycle drivers a more modern, viable, and sustainable livelihood to earn an income from, especially given the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and the projected “new normal” way of life. For other LGUs, this project would be viable if many food establishments in your area make use of foodpanda’s delivery services.
