Grab Philippines, the Rural Improvement Club Davao City Federation Inc., and the Davao City Government have formed a partnership to help women farmer-entrepreneurs reach more consumers and access new markets through digital commerce.
The initiative is being implemented through the City Agriculturist’s Office, with support from the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Cooperative Development and People’s Participation. At its center is RIC Daily Fresh, a dedicated storefront that will allow participating RIC farmers to sell locally grown produce through GrabMart while also operating from a forthcoming physical space at Agdao Public Market.
Bringing local produce closer to consumers
RIC Davao City Federation is a women-led organization involved in farming, livelihood development, and community crafts. Under the new partnership, participating farmers will gain an additional sales channel that connects them more directly with households across Davao City.
Through RIC Daily Fresh on GrabMart, consumers will be able to purchase fresh produce from local farming communities using the same on-demand platform they already use for groceries and other essentials. At the same time, the physical space at Agdao Public Market will give the federation an offline hub for its operations.
The initiative is designed to address several challenges commonly faced by small farming communities, including limited market visibility, fragmented selling channels, and difficulty reaching consumers directly. By adding both digital and physical channels, the partnership aims to give farmers more ways to promote their products, respond to customer demand, and generate income.
Digital and AI training for women agri-preneurs
The partnership also includes training through Grab Asenso: Digital Diskarte, Grab’s technology and AI enablement program for MSMEs. Participating RIC members will receive practical training in product presentation, digital marketing, order management, customer engagement, and online marketplace operations.
The learning session will be co-facilitated by the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. The training is intended to complement existing farm-to-market systems while helping participants adjust to changing consumer habits and the growing role of digital commerce.
“Digitalization should not require MSMEs to build every capability from the ground up,” said RJ Cabaluna, vice president for cities at Grab Philippines. “By opening existing digital roads to farming communities, we are reducing the cost, complexity, and distance that often stand between local producers and economic opportunity. We see this pilot farm-to-market partnership with RIC and the Davao City LGU as a model for how technology, government, and communities can work together to make growth more inclusive.”
Giving women more tools to build sustainable livelihoods
For RIC, the project also centers on strengthening the role of women in local enterprise. The federation sees the combination of market access, digital tools, and skills development as a way to give members more control over how they grow their businesses and connect with customers.
“For RIC, progress means giving women the confidence, knowledge, and decision-making power to turn local resources into sustainable livelihoods,” said Josie S. Osorio, president of RIC Davao City Federation Inc. “We see RIC Daily Fresh as an opportunity for our members to lead together, understand their customers better, and build an enterprise that creates lasting value for their families and communities.”
The partnership also aligns with Davao City’s efforts to improve farm-to-market opportunities for local producers. By combining a physical market presence with a digital storefront, participating farmers can potentially reach customers beyond the immediate area served by traditional selling channels.
Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte said the initiative gives farmers and producers another way to expand their market reach while learning new approaches to selling. He noted that GrabMart can help farmers sell fresh produce, generate income, strengthen consumer linkages, and improve market visibility as agricultural commerce becomes increasingly digital.
Government support for market access
The Davao City Government will also help participating farmers navigate local business processes and integrate the project with existing agricultural programs. The City Agriculturist’s Office will provide technical and institutional support, while the city council’s Committee on Cooperative Development and People’s Participation will assist the federation as it expands its market presence.
“Our role in government is to make it easier for community enterprises like RIC to grow and participate in new markets,” said Davao City Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, chairperson of the Committee on Cooperative Development and People’s Participation. He said the Agdao Public Market space will serve as a physical hub for RIC while GrabMart gives farmers an additional channel to reach consumers across the city.
The city also sees improved market information as a way to help farmers make better production decisions. Better visibility into demand can help producers anticipate what consumers are looking for and potentially reduce the risk of harvests remaining unsold.
“A strong agricultural system must consider the entire journey of produce, from what farmers plant to how their harvest reaches the market,” said Dr. Antonio R. Obsioma, acting department head of the Davao City Agriculturist’s Office. “Better market access and information can help farmers anticipate demand, make more informed production decisions, and reduce the risk of produce being left unsold. This pilot gives the city another tool to build a more responsive and efficient local food system.”
Connecting farming communities to the digital economy
The RIC Daily Fresh initiative forms part of Grab’s broader efforts to help livelihood groups and small enterprises participate in the digital economy. In Davao, that approach brings together a technology platform, local government support, and an established women-led farming organization around a shared goal of improving access to markets.
For participating farmers, the value of the partnership goes beyond simply putting produce online. By combining a new sales channel with practical digital training and local government support, the initiative is intended to help women agri-preneurs build more sustainable and competitive livelihoods while becoming more familiar with the tools shaping modern commerce.
In Summary
Grab Philippines, RIC Davao City Federation Inc., and the Davao City Government are partnering to expand market access for women farmer-entrepreneurs through RIC Daily Fresh on GrabMart and a forthcoming physical space at Agdao Public Market. The initiative gives participating farmers additional channels to sell fresh produce while addressing barriers such as limited visibility and fragmented market access.
RIC members will also receive training through Grab Asenso: Digital Diskarte in areas including digital marketing, product presentation, order management, customer engagement, and online marketplace operations. The program is supported by the Davao City Government and co-facilitated by the International Trade Centre.