Grab launches Grab Asenso: A Digital Diskarte Program to accelerate regional MSME digitalization in the Philippines

Grab Asenso, the flagship public-private program of the Philippines' leading superapp, is endorsed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and partner city governments.

- 

In the program, mobile-first upskilling meets new merchant tools — from an Al copilot to cashless acceptance on any NFC phone — so small businesses can market, sell, and thrive in the digital economy.

Grab Asenso: A Digital Diskarte Program, a nationwide push to speed up the digital shift of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) outside Metro Manila. The program combines a multi-city Learning Caravan with the rollout of mobile-first merchant tools inside the GrabMerchant app, giving entrepreneurs practical skills and plug-and-play infrastructure to grow online.

MSMEs are the backbone of Philippine commerce 99.59% of all establishments and roughly 65% of jobs yet many are still early in their digital journey. The country's shift to cash-lite is now mainstream 57.4% of retail payments by volume and 59% by value were digital in 2024, driven by QR PH and instant transfers making merchant readiness urgent for inclusive growth.

Supported by the local government units, DICT Regional Office, and Grab merchant-partners, the inaugural leg kicked off in Angeles City and will expand to Cavite, Baguio, Bohol, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Bacolod, and Cagayan de Oro in the coming months.