Grab Philippines offers a convenient alternative to navigating the country’s busy cities—but at a premium. These prices are driven by surge pricing, which we know little about. In this episode, journalist Karol Ilagan shares the experiment her team did in early 2024. They tried booking a GrabCar nearly every hour for one week to see if there was always a surge.
Karol Ilagan produced this episode with reporting partner Federico Acosta Rainis.
The script was edited by Carljoe Javier and Felipe Salvosa II, and put together by Jil Caro, Pidoy Blanco, and Marc Casillan.
Jabes Florian Lazaro contributed reporting and research. Data collection was done by Angelica Alcantara, Jay-ar Alombro, Donna Clarisse Blacer, Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo, James Kenneth Calzado, Gina de Castro, Maverick de Castro, Dominique Flores, Lois Garcia, Guinevere Latoza, Aya Mance, Faith Maniquis, Karmela Melgarejo, Gabriel Muñoz, Arone Jervin Ocampo, Matthew Raralio, Arriana Santos, and Angelica Ty.
This podcast was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network.
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