Delivery service foodpanda on Thursday said its riders now get free accident insurance whenever they are delivering orders, addressing a critical pain point of the economic frontliners whose daily grind includes weaving through unpredictable traffic.
Foodpanda said it partnered with Igloo, a lifestyle insurance company, for PandaCare Insure Program. Benefits include accidental death compensation at P125,000, accidental dismemberment at P125,000, medical reimbursement at P5,000, hospital assistance for 10 days at P500, and burial expense at P5,000, it said.
“The PandaCare Insurance Program is just the beginning of our plans for our riders as we shift towards a long-term and sustainable initiative for them in the year 2022. This is our way to show appreciation, especially we will not be here without the commitment and resilience of our partner riders," foodpanda Philippines Managing Director Daniel Marogy said.
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Foodpanda said it had been rolling out projects aimed at making life easier for riders, including perks and privileges at partner establishments such as gasoline stations and motorcycle shops, as well as giving incentives for top-performers.
Over the course of the pandemic, the company battled protests among riders for a what they said were unfair practices of the platform, including their distance-based payment scheme that diminished their pay.
Currently, there is growing clamor for delivery riders in the so-called "gig economy" for statutory benefits, which the contractual nature of their contract doesn't provide.
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