Ka-Panda partner walker and single mother Sheila Macabenta, 43, has been walking for nearly a year to deliver meals to foodpanda customers in Dagupan city.
Some people say that what a man can do, a woman can do too. This is certainly true for the fast-growing fast commerce industry, where female delivery workers make up a large percentage of the workforce thanks to food delivery apps like foodpanda. As one of the leading brands in the industry, foodpanda is known for its eye-catching branding and it is also known for offering Filipinos the opportunity, regardless of gender, to become a delivery partner of “Ka Panda”.
While we’re more familiar with the sight of them riding motorcycles or bicycles, you might be surprised that others also deliver food on foot — in foodpanda’s case, these workers are affectionately known as “Ka-Panda walkers.” For the leading digital platform for fast commerce, owning a walker offers those without a driver or vehicle an opportunity to earn a living – like Sheila Macabenta, 43, the only foodpanda darling. Walkers in the Gupan area.
Always jumping from job to job before becoming a Card Panda Walker, Sheila is no stranger to hardships. As a single mother and the sole provider of her 3 children, she doesn’t mind these past setbacks.
Like any mother, what keeps her going is the desire to take care of her children. One day, while browsing social media, she saw a job posting on the foodpanda rider’s Facebook page, and her resilience prevailed. “I was amazed at na-curious ako sa trabaho ng isang Ka-Panda walker kaya nag-decide ako mag-apply,” she recalls.
For Sheila, being a Ka-Panda walker was rewarding, but the job also came with its fair share of challenges — from the unpredictable weather she faced every day to traveling long distances to deliver orders. But none came close to meeting the needs of her family.
“Foodpanda has helped a lot with our financial needs. I am now able to pay our basic expenses such as food, rent and other bills. This is important for a mother like me who is the only supportive family.”
One of the things she also learned from her own experience is that respect and determination are important in her work. “When you work, you need perseverance and respect. There are no women’s or men’s only jobs. Keep going as long as you can, because nothing is easy in the beginning.”
As we celebrate our ilaw ng tahanan this month, we also pay tribute to single parents like her who are mothers and fathers working tirelessly to support their families.
No matter what hurdles or hurdles she faces—whether as a single mother or as a woman as a Ka-Panda walker—Sheila has proven that with passion and dedication, nothing is impossible. Mothers like her who can juggle work and care for their family are always an inspiration, and there is no better gift than making them feel our love and respect.
So will Sheila continue to “walk” for foodpanda and its customers? “Even if I have to walk a few kilometers, I don’t get tired of delivering orders to our customers,” she said.
“No matter what the test, as long as my family and clients continue to pay tribute to what I’ve done, I can handle it. Just get on with life.”
