‘Buo ang Pasko’: How a Grab cyclist’s Christmas wish came true through party platters and group ride
GrabFood Delivery-Partner Marilyn Delos Reyes had one simple wish this Christmas: to spend time with her six children and enjoy a meaningful celebration with them.
For a year now, she has been a GrabFood Delivery-Partner, working tirelessly in her bicycle and paddling until her legs ache to deliver food to customers without delay—all so her family can have food on the table and a chance at a better future.
“Nagsimula po ako sa Grab nung inaya po ako ng kaibigan ko na mag-apply. Para makapagsimula ako magbiyahe, pinahiram po nila ako ng bike para kumita na po ako araw-araw,” she told PhilSTAR L!fe.
Giving a glimpse into her daily life, she said, “Bago po ako magbiyahe, inaasikaso ko po muna ‘yung mga anak ko para makapasok. Tapos kapag lahat na po sila nakapasok sa school, saka naman po ako magpe-prepare para bumiyahe ng 10:00 po ng umaga hanggang 8:00 po ng gabi.”
Her hard work eventually enabled her to afford a bike of her own. But even with this achievement, Marilyn knows the road would have its bumps. “Ang kinakaharap ko pong pagsubok ay kapag masungit ang panahon, tapos minsan nasisiraan po ako ng bike,” she said.
Despite the challenges she encounters in her line livelihood, she continues to push through each day with unwavering grit, with her family as her top source of motivation.
“Dati nung wala pa akong trabaho, minsan hindi sila nakakapasok ng ilang araw kasi wala silang pangbaon at pangkain sa pang-araw araw,” Marilyn said.
She then opened up about how their lives have changed for the better since she joined Grab. “Mula nung nakapasok na ako sa Grab, medyo umangat na po ‘yung pamumuhay namin. Nakaraos na po kami,” she mused. “Hindi po ako sumuko kasi ang inspirasyon ko ay ang mga anak ko.”
Fulfilling her wish
According to Marilyn, the new GrabFood Party Platters feature—which lets users host a party where large sets from their favorite restaurants are assigned to multiple delivery-partners—has been greatly helping her provide for her family for months now. “Ang kagandahan ng party platters sa mga umoorder sa’kin ay nadadagdagan po ang bookings kaya lumalaki rin ‘yung nagiging kita ko at feeling ko nakakatulong ako sa kanila at nagiging part ako ng kasiyahan nila.”
Seeing happy families made her want to experience the same simple joy with her own children—sharing a meal, laughing together, and enjoying a Christmas that feels whole.
Grab recently made her wish come true by surprising her with an early Noche Buena celebration with her family through their “Make a Wish” program where they grant heartfelt wishes of selected delivery partners.
Marilyn was chosen as one of this year’s grantees—along with GrabCar driver Randolph Nava Paredes and MOVE IT rider Dennis Atizon Verunque—who were each invited for what they thought would be a simple interview, only to be surprised with a heartfelt family get-together prepared especially for them.
For the surprise, Marilyn’s eldest daughter Angel and her second child Nicole, as well as her four nieces, came together via the GrabCar Group Ride feature.
In an interview with L!fe, they highlighted how Marilyn has always been there to take care of them even when the going gets tough.
“Si mama po kasi ‘yung tipo ng tao na kahit pagod na pagod na, maaasikaso niya pa rin po kami. Hindi niya iniisip ‘yung pagod niya para lang maasikaso kami,” Nicole said.
Angel also shared that Marilyn’s work as a GrabFood Delivery-Partner has helped improve their lives. “Nakatulong po siya doon sa school namin. Nabibili na po namin ‘yung gamit na kailangan kapag may pinapabili po si teacher, at ‘yung school supplies po namin kagaya ng notebook at uniform.”
Marilyn, who initially thought that they were just going to have a photoshoot at a content studio in Quezon City, couldn’t help but get emotional as she saw her family waiting for her at the table to have their special Noche Buena.
“Nagulat po ako kasi hindi ko po in-expect na makikita ko yung pamilya ko doon. Naiiyak po kasi hindi ko po in-expect na sasama siya sa surpresa na naganap po. Masaya po ako kasi kahit papaano naalala pa rin po niya ako,” she said.
“Masayang-masaya po ako dahil natupad po ‘yung wish ko. Maraming maraming salamat po sa Grab. Hindi ko po makakalimutan yung surpresa,” she added.
Angel and Nicole also became teary-eyed as their mom joined them at the table to have a hearty feast of chicken, pancit palabok, lumpiang shanghai, barbecue, chocolate cake, and more—all ordered through GrabFood Party Platters.
“Ang saya po sa pakiramdam na na-surprise po namin si mama kasi ito po ‘yung first experience namin na ma-surprise po namin siya,” Nicole said.
For Marilyn, the simple act of celebrating Noche Buena with her family was enough to make the holidays one for the books for her family. “Para po sa akin, buo ang Pasko kapag buo ‘yung aming pamilya at magkasama po kami,” she said.
Grab Philippines Head for Driver Engagement Dane Fajardo shared, “Ang Make a Wish Program ay isang initiative ng Driver Engagement teams ng Grab at MOVE IT, isang makabuluhang paraan para kilalanin ang pangarap at pagsusumikap ng ating driver-partners."
"Simula nung October, regular kaming pumipili ng mga grant recipients, na may iba’t ibang wishes, mula tech gadgets hanggang pampering packages. Pero ngayong Pasko, bilang bahagi ng Grab Buo ang Pasko, tatlong driver ang pinarangalan dahil ang hiling nila ay hindi lamang materyal: isang kumpletong Christmas bonding moment kasama ang pamilya," Fajardo added.
"Nawa’y ang kwento nina Marilyn, Randolph at Dennis ay magpaalala sa lahat na sa likod ng bawat biyahe at bawat order, may taong masipag na nangangarap para sa pamilya. At dahil sa kanila, mas marami ring Pilipino ang nakakabuo ng sariling Pasko. Sa aming mga rider, driver, at delivery partenrs, saludo po kami sa inyo.”
‘Buo ang Pasko’
Want to make your Christmas feel more special and complete with your loved ones this year? Check out the GrabFood Party Platters for easier ordering of ready-to-share sets to satisfy those hungry bellies. Simply open GrabFood and look for the "Party Platter" tile, where you can search for your favorite restaurants and choose from a wide selection of their party platters and bundles.
Hosting a family gathering? GrabCar Group Ride allows you to set up a group ride, invite other friends to join the group, and pick them up from different locations towards a common destination. Unlike multi-stop rides that allow only one user to coordinate the ride, this feature lets everyone in the group participate in planning the trip and stay updated on the status of the ride throughout. To set it up, select a group departure or arrival, enter the first pickup and drop-off points, and invite up to three friends to add their stops via a shared link. Grab then optimizes the route for all passengers, allowing everyone to track the ride and see real-time updates.
With these features, you can focus on being together with your families no matter how busy the season gets as you help Grab’s delivery partners do the same.
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