The Safety in On-Demand Service
With the entire city of Metro Manila under lockdown as part of countermeasures against the spread of COVID-19, much of the city’s 12 million-strong population has been confined indoors. With movement in and around the city then restricted via a combination of checkpoints and curfews, citizens have had to find new ways in order to get things done: This is where the app MyKuya steps in.
Recently, the on-demand service has had to contend with an unprecedented spike in demand for services catering to basic needs.
“Because of the growing threat of COVID-19, Filipinos in Metro Manila had to quickly confine themselves to their homes. Unfortunately, most still lack basic supplies, such as food, water, and sanitation items. Many of these people are now turning to MyKuya to get help with whatever they need,” explained Shahab Shabibi, the founder of MyKuya and a Forbes 30 Under 30 inductee.
Founded in 2017, MyKuya is a Filipino super app that assists each user with hiring the people and services they need in two minutes or less. They’ve become known for their ability to provide people with a personal assistant for just about everything – standing in line for you to pay the bills, grabbing something in particular for you from the stores, or even just simply cleaning your home.
Such a service would already be helpful in a normal state of affairs – but as thousands around the metro are starting to discover, it can be an absolute game-changer in the midst of a pandemic and lockdown.
“Normally, I’d just put things off after work,” explained one of the app’s newest users, Sofia Hernandez. “Take for example having to buy an item at the grocery. I would normally head over to one after my shift is finished to pick up what I need.”
But because of the combination of checkpoints around the city and curfews recently enacted by the city’s local government units, even getting to a grocery store will be difficult – to say nothing of the endless lines if patrons do manage to arrive and shop.
“I was able to use MyKuya the night the lockdown was announced. Instead of having to struggle through the chaos of the grocery store, I was able to get a kuya to help me. He picked up some of my usual essentials, along with items I’ll need specifically because of the pandemic,” said Reyes.
Additionally, MyKuya users have found the app acts as a shield against the unfortunate instances of price gouging that have started surfacing in the wake of COVID-19. In one case that was documented in the New York Times, a Tennessee man had hoarded close to 18,000 bottles of hand sanitizer, some of which he had sold up to US$70 online. In stark comparison, since MyKuya connects users directly with service providers, nearly all of whom are small businesses and enterprises, people will be protected from unfair charges on critical goods or services as they all have long-term reputations to uphold.
