Thousands of rider-partners and their families joined the yearend celebration, with MOVE IT Papugay Awardees as highlight

MOVE IT honored the exceptional contributions of its 16 top-performing rider-partners at the recent MOVE IT Day 2024 event, held at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. These riders were named this year’s Papugay Awardees — recognized for their unwavering dedication and resilience.

The Papugay Awards ceremony was a highlight of MOVE IT’s annual yearend celebration, which gathered thousands of rider-partners and their families for a day filled with activities and entertainment. The event featured photo booths, games, raffles, comedy shows, a talent competition, a rock concert, and even motorcycle maintenance services.

While MOVE IT Day is the company’s annual yearend event to show its appreciation to the thousands of rider-partners, the Papugay Awards is the company’s way of recognizing rider-partners that exemplifies MOVE IT’s values of integrity, respect and commitment to safety and quality service. To qualify for the Papugay Awards, rider-partners must demonstrate exceptional booking completion rates, maintain high star ratings, ensure safe driving practices, and receive exemplary feedback from passengers.

During the event, four “Papugay” awardees shared their inspiring stories, encouraging fellow riders to strive for success.

One of them was Cyrus Panopio, 38, who has been tagged as an “Alamat” — the highest tier for MOVE IT riders.

As an Alamat, Panopio enjoys a robust array of incentives, including P2,000 worth of groceries, gas money, medicine, and GrabFood vouchers each month. While Panopio also runs a small business that supports his family, including his mother who suffered a stroke, his MOVE IT earnings have provided extra financial stability. He hopes to use this additional income to fund his three sons’ education until they earn their degrees.

“Bumabiyahe kasi ako ng 5 to 10 a.m., tapos umuuwi ako para ihatid ang mga anak ko sa school, mamalengke at magluto. Pagkatapos ng kaunting pahinga, balik-biyahe ako ng 4 to 10 p.m.,” Panopio discloses. Panopio shares that the flexibility offered by the platform allows him to balance his time between his livelihood, his business, and family much more easily.

Fulfilling full-time livelihood

Another one of the Papugay awardees, Benjie Boladas Bechayda, 33, quit his old regular job as a security guard for a popular shopping mall chain to instead go full-time with MOVE IT.

Bechayda started as a part-timer for MOVE IT only last March, before realizing that he could earn twice more than his previous work by going full steam ahead as a moto taxi rider.

In the past, he rendered 12-hour duty in his security guard job, then spent late nights until early morning with his MOVE IT gig. But since July, Bechayda has made MOVE IT his main bread and butter.

“Sa dati kong trabaho, nagsasangla pa ako ng ATM card, at wala rin masyadong oras para sa pamilya,” Bechayda recalls. “Ngayon, malaki ang pasok ng grasya — guminhawa ang buhay ng pamilya ko.”

With more time to spend with his wife and children, including their six-month-old baby, and earning a higher income, Bechayda is now focused on building or buying a house for their growing family.

MOVE IT General Manager Wayne Jacinto (2nd row, 3rd from left) leads the MOVE IT Day 2024 Celebration, together with thousands of MOVE IT rider-partners.

Enhancing livelihood adaptability

Meanwhile, 29-year-old Merry Ann Paz, a single mother, juggles the responsibility of raising and providing for her two children.

Aside from sending her kids to school, Paz is also responsible for paying the monthly bills — relying primarily on her earnings from MOVE IT to successfully fulfill the role. However, as a female moto-taxi rider, Paz initially had qualms about becoming a full-time rider-partner due to concerns about her safety.

“Noong una, kinakabahan ako na mag-moto taxi dahil na rin sa mga safety issues na pwedeng kaharapin sa daan,” Paz says. The solo parent breadwinner emphasized that MOVE IT provides training on road safety to help them navigate busy thoroughfares safely. Additionally, the platform touts a suite of security and reporting features that enhance their safety. She also shared that she picked up a lot from online courses via the MOVE IT Academy learning platform, focused on defensive driving, safe spaces, and passenger handling.

New livelihood path for a better future

Now, what is a former ambulance driver — and a strong and independent woman at that — like Merlani Lacson, 45, doing as a MOVE IT rider?

Lacson’s old job rushing sick people to hospital for a decade, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, had made her a fighter.

After driving ambulances for a local government in Metro Manila, Lacson was also a family driver for six months, until she realized that riding motorcycles is the better livelihood option.

“Matagal ko nang gustong mag-motor dahil mas madaling magmaniobra sa daan,” Lacson beams. So for Lacson, becoming a MOVE IT rider now is a dream come true.

And it’s MOVE IT that’s likewise giving her the flexibility — since she serves commuters from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m., Lacson reserves her nights to be with her teenage children. Now a widow, Lacson is looking forward to the day when one of her sons can finish the IT course they’re also dreaming of.

This positive relationship between MOVE IT and its riders is driving the company, and the moto taxi industry, to new heights.

MOVE IT General Manager Wayne Jacinto shares, “Sa bawat MOVE IT rider-partner, taus-pusong pasasalamat sa inyong katapatan at kasipagan bilang maaasahang tagapaghatid ng mga pasaherong Pilipino. Ang inyong dedikasyon at pagsisikap ang dahilan kung bakit libo-libong mananakay sa araw-araw ang nakakapasok sa opisina at nakakauwi sa kanilang mga pamilya nang mas madali at mas ligtas. Kami ay nagagalak na maging bahagi ng bawat byahe ninyo sa pag-abot ng inyong mga pangarap, habang sama-sama nating tinutugunan ang pangangailan ng mga komyuter para sa serbisyong ligtas, tapat at maasahan. Muli, salamat po sa inyong lahat.”

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