Food delivery riders were the unsung heroes of the pandemic. They may not wear capes but delivering food and essentials to our homes made them worthy to be called our modern-day road heroes. 

For this year’s celebration of National Heroes Day, foodpanda’s partner riders are giving ‘delivery heroes’ a whole new meaning as they give back to communities in need. 

The Ka-panda volunteers went around Metro Manila to visit several charity homes and distributed food, groceries, health & safety kits, and supplies to hundreds of beneficiaries. Aside from the distribution of goods, the visits also included a party-themed program and special presentation from the riders themselves. 

The beneficiaries – who comprise of elderly people and young children from Associacion de Damas de Filipinas, Inc. and Concordia Children’s Services both in Manila, Good Samaritan Nursing home for the elderly in Marikina, and SOS Children’s Village in Muntinlupa – all enjoyed participating in the activities and receiving the donations. 

Virgilio Requillas, Jr., one of the Ka-panda volunteers, was glad and excited about the news that they will have their own charity event at foodpanda. “Nung nalaman ko na may na-organize na outreach activity si foodpanda para sa mga riders, di na ko nag-atubili na mag-volunteer dahil di natin papalagpasin ang pagkakataon na makatulong sa kapwa.”

One of the foodpanda partner riders who also organized a charity project in their area with his fellow Ka-pandas a few months ago is John Rene Alcanzo. “Nung may nasunugan sa lugar namin, nag-ambagan kaming mga riders para makapagbahagi ng tulong,” he recalled. “Naging successful at madali naman po ang pag-aayos ng donation dahil bukod sa maganda ang samahan naming mga riders sa foodpanda, hawak naman namin ang schedule sa pag-byahe namin – may sapat na oras pa para tumulong sa mga nangangailangan. 

The child care homes were grateful to both foodpanda and its partner riders for choosing them to be their beneficiaries.``Instead of us celebrating them as heroes this National Heroes’ Day, they are the ones doing the deed for us. We are truly thankful to them for putting a smile on the faces of the children/lolos and lolas here,” Jenicka Tan, Development Program Supervisor from Concordia Children's Services, Inc.

“Time and time again, our partner riders proved to be helping hand by delivering our food and essentials. Even if they’re already busy doing their jobs, they still find time to give back to our community,” said Patricia Jacinto, foodpanda Philippines Operations Director. “They are not just our delivery heroes, they are heroes of the community.”

This is just the first of the many upcoming charity events that the online quick platform is organizing with its partner riders as volunteers. “It’s not a one-time thing. We plan to also do charities in other areas, particularly in VisMin. Our goal is to do it nationwide and have our partner riders in the provinces also participate,” Jacinto added.