Businesses in the food industry and ordinary Filipinos are setting initiatives to help food items be delivered to people in the most convenient manner as the enhanced community quarantine takes place over Metro Manila and selected regions.
Restaurants and the operation of other services considered non-essential are currently closed as preventive measures against the novel coronavirus pandemic in a bid to reduce the transmission rate of the deadly pathogen.
There are a number of food services, however, that still thrive and only operate on a take-out and/or delivery option basis so that Filipinos can still enjoy their meals in the comforts of their homes and without fears of getting infected.
Food delivery services have also been considered essential by the government.
Food delivery made easy
SM Supermalls recently launched its own Viber community specifically catered to food take-outs and delivery. Members of the group can check which restaurants and food establishments in SM malls are available for orders and pick-up.
There are respective Viber groups for residents in Metro Manila, Baguio, Pampanga, Olongapo, Cavite, Laguna, Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Palawan, Cebu, Batangas and Quezon Province.
#SMCares: SM Supermalls Take Out & Delivery Viber Community is now open to serve you!😊
𝘾𝙇𝙄𝘾𝙆 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙆 𝙉𝙊𝙒 👉 https://t.co/leHxhDyfwS and join today! Stay home and stay safe, #SMfam! pic.twitter.com/5pxQFDjVKk
— SM Supermalls (@smsupermalls) April 17, 2020
Motorcycle taxi service Angkas also launched its own initiative, “Angkas x Restos,” to help Filipinos with their food deliveries.
Users can order from their partner restaurants and food establishments like Black Scoop Cafe, Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen, Zark’s Burger, Goldilocks and Bacolod Chicken Inasal, among others.
Angkas said that the delivery fee will go straight to their bikers to help them earn amid the enhanced community quarantine.
Guys legit to, gumawa kami ng food delivery service oha. But this isn't for us. Para to sa mga bikers at sa inyo. We will NOT take any commission in this initiative. Sa kanila lahat to.
For the list of restaurants: https://t.co/dl1b8EYi7M pic.twitter.com/ZK7o2xIAfw
— Angkas (@angkas) March 23, 2020
A Filipino also developed a Viber bot that connects food suppliers who can deliver to potential customers.
Created by Stephen Lee, this innovation is called “PH Food Delivery Network” which aims to help small and medium enterprises earn while onsite work suspension takes place in areas under enhanced community quarantine.
Hi, we just launched a free Viber bot to connect food suppliers (that can deliver) with customers. Hopefully, this…
Posted by Stephen Lee on Friday, April 24, 2020
Lee’s sister-in-law, Arlene Keh, said that a customer only needed to type a food item on the chat box while the bot will look for the food suppliers.
For a food business owner, they only need to input their business information to the bot database and get recommended to potential customers.
Are you looking to ordering food for delivery? Or, are you a food business looking for customers? Here is a great…
Posted by Arlene Keh on Saturday, April 25, 2020
Facebook groups with similar initiatives were also created by ordinary Filipinos.
The group “Angkas Padala and Pabili Go: 24/7 Group” aims to help Filipinos stay at home as much as possible while those who can go out offers to pick up food items from restaurants and establishments.
Members can privately message the riders to fulfill transactions.
Facebook group “Order Hero,” meanwhile, supports riders from food delivery and transportation apps whose orders have been canceled by their original customers.
In this group, riders post the orders that have been canceled while members of the community can claim it instead and pay for the food items to save the driver from “fakebooking” and avoid wasting their efforts.
