Grab Philippines has produced the first college graduates of its GrabScholar program in Southeast Asia, providing an early measure of how the platform’s education initiative is translating scholarships into workforce opportunities.
Five scholars, Cesario Cabuello III, Mary Flor Valerie Rull, John Lloyd Villa, Jasmine Nicanor, and Jessa Mae Tabares, have completed degrees in education, business, and finance.
Three have already moved into work. Cabuello is a senior high school teacher at PHINMA Saint Jude College Quezon City, Nicanor is undertaking a government internship in Iloilo, and Tabares is a corporate legal assistant. Tabares, Rull and Villa are also preparing for the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers.
“When college came, I almost convinced myself it wasn’t part of my future because I didn’t want to be a burden to my family. Then GrabScholar came,” Tabares said.
Launched in 2023, GrabScholar has supported about 2,000 Filipinos through education and career programs. Its assistance includes 30 full college scholarships, school-expense support for 1,500 elementary and high school students, and training for 400 people seeking potential careers in the business process outsourcing industry.
The program is funded through GrabForGood Fund and implemented with Philippine Business for Social Progress and BagoSphere. Beyond tuition support, it provides learning materials, living allowances, development programs, internships and career opportunities.
For Grab, the first graduating cohort offers a tangible link between corporate social investment and employability, although the longer-term impact will depend on how graduates fare as they build careers.
“Five graduates in, we’re seeing what opportunity can build when someone gets a real shot, with degrees earned, careers started, and doors opened that weren’t there before,” Grab Financial Group Philippines President CJ Lacsican said.
GrabScholar is now accepting its fifth batch of scholars as it expands its education and workforce-development efforts.
