Viral delivery rider shows true dedication to his job: 'If gusto po kumita, need pong magtiyaga halos buong araw'

When it rains, many of us feel guilty ordering food delivery, knowing that the rider has to brave the weather to bring us our meal. But for many riders, delivery is their main source of income, and they often have no choice but to work in difficult conditions.

Michael John Grulla is one such rider. He recently went viral after he was photographed delivering food in a flooded area of Mandaluyong City. 

Customer Don Sarino wrote about Grulla's act and how the latter went above and beyond in delivering the food item to him.

Sarino was expecting his food delivery to be canceled or delayed due to the heavy rain. However, he was surprised to see that a rider had picked up his order. He tracked the rider's location on the app and saw that the rider was slowly making his way from Circuit Makati to Mandaluyong.

After 30 minutes, Grulla contacted Sarino and said that he had arrived at the location but that the flooding had prevented him from traveling any farther. He was now wading through the water to deliver the item.

Sarino stepped outside to meet the driver. To his surprise, Michael was still smiling as he gave the food item and apologized for the delay. Sarino was even more surprised when Michael refused the tip or even a bit of the food he offered to share.

"Pagkameet ko kay Kuya, siya pa nagsorry sakin kasi delayed daw yung delivery and yung food is late na. Surprised lang kami ng wife ko kasi sobrang bait naman ng Rider? Sabi ko na lang kami nga kuya dapat magsorry kasi hindi nacancel yung order namin,” Sarino narrated in the post.

Sarino was so impressed by Grulla's dedication and professionalism that he posted about his experience on social media. The post went viral, and many people praised Grulla for his hard work and exceptional service.

Foodpanda also recognized Grulla's efforts and reached out to him to present a token of appreciation. They also told L!fe in a statement that the safety and well-being of their delivery partners are their top priority, alongside meeting the essential needs of their app users.

"In the face of natural calamities or unforeseen accidents, our delivery partners can request order reassignment without any impact on their performance score," the statement read.

A message of dedication

In an interview with PhilSTAR L!fe, Sarino said that Grulla's act of dedication is a testament to the fact that there are still delivery riders who are passionate about their work. Sarino said that he and his wife order foodpanda three times a week, but this is the first time they have experienced such undying dedication from a rider.

"Isa po sya sa mga delivery rider na nag pagkita ng dedication at integrity sa work na walang hinihinging kapalit... na handang ibigay yung service para sa customers umulan man o umaraw. Tsaka nakita namin yung pagmamahal niya sa trabaho niya," he told L!fe. 

"Para po sa mga delivery rider na kagaya ni Sir, Michael, maraming salamat sa service na binibigay niyo ng hindi humihingi ng anumang kapalit. Sobrang laking tulong nila para mas mapagaan yung buhay ng nakararami. Nagsilbing inspirasyon ang kagaya ni kuya [Michael] hindi lang sa customers kundi sa mga co-delivery rider na mahalin at maging tapat ka sa trabaho mo at maging grateful sa blessings na binigay ni Lord," he added. 

Call of duty and professionalism

Grulla started as a food delivery rider during the pandemic. He earns more than P900 during dull moments in 10 hours of delivering food while more than one thousand pesos when it is high demand for 12 hours of giving service. 

He admits that this amount is not enough to provide for the needs of his family that's why he works harder even when it rains or shines.

"Lumalakas lang po talga 'pag umuulan, yun nga po kasi hindi sila makalabas at bumili na lang sa gusto nilang makainan," he told L!fe. "If gusto po kumita, need pong magtiyaga halos buong araw—mainit man o maulan," he continued. 

Regarding the viral photo, the 35-year-old delivery rider told L!fe that he was just doing his job. 

"Need ko po maideliver yung food since bayad na po sya kasi mahirap po kasi lagi macancelan sa delivery app namin, maari pong masuspend ng ilang araw napaka-strict po talaga ginagawa ko lang po yung rules po," Grulla explained. 

"Basta ginawa ko lang po duties namin as a delivery courier kahit maulan. Nagcontact na po ako sa customer na madedelay lang po, pero susuungin ko po yung baha," he added. 

However, Grulla believes that delivery riders should be careful when providing service, especially during inclement weather. He reminds other riders to prioritize their safety.

"Hindi naman need suongin 'pag hindi kaya, mahirap magpasya basta basta [kaya] pag-isipan nang maigi. Unahin mo pa rin safety mo. Kaya ko ginawa iyon dahil andyan na eh at wag kumalimot na magdasal sa taas," he furthered. 

And if given a chance that he will do it, he confidently said that it depends on the situation but as long as he can provide the service in the best that he can, he will, without hesitation and with extra care. He did this three times with different customers. 

Grulla also shared that he learned his attitude towards giving service and to the customers during his work as a service crew in a fast food chain for eight years. It is not new to him to give his utmost professionalism and dedication towards any work.