We’ve experienced how challenging it is to procure essentials since the ECQ. While we’re trying not to complain (given that we’re actually able to buy food), we acknowledge the struggle of having to walk for 30 minutes just to get to the grocery, wait in line for another hour or more, and when we finally get inside, most of the items are sold out.
But we’re grateful that in the midst of all of this, some people have initiated services to remedy these pain points. Here are some of the online groceries we’ve tried.
Food
Session Groceries
Session Groceries has been our first source of farm-to-table produce since its launch in 2019. As we shared in our previous post, we love their advocacy in helping our farmers while delivering the items right at our doorstep.
How to order: Download Session Groceries App (IOS | Android)
Payment: BDO Fund Transfer, COD
Areas covered: Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal
Delivery: Session Groceries have their own partner courier
Shipping Fee Estimate: PhP 180.00 for the first 25 kg (in our area)
Gulay on the Roll
Gulay on the roll rose to the occasion by sourcing vegetables from our Cordillera farmers at a fair price. At first, their rolling store mainly served the Project 6 neighborhood but since the demand from all over Metro Manila came like a hoard of angry bees, they quickly accepted orders for pick up.
Healthy. Fresh. Affordable and the nation’s pride. This is what you will be serving your family whenever you order from Gulay on the Roll!
Products: Vegetables
How to order: Fill up the form at @gulayontheroll | Facebook.com/Gulayontheroll
Payment: BDO & BPI Fund transfer
Delivery: Free delivery within Project 6, Quezon City. For other areas, buyer is in charge of picking up or booking delivery services.
Sadiwa
Sadiwa started off as a donation drive that later turned into a continuous effort to help Cordillera farmers by directly sourcing and selling Strawberries and Jam.
Product: Strawberries and Strawberry jam
How to order: Message them at IG @_sadiwa | Facebook.com/Sadiwa
Payment: BDO, BPI, GCash
Areas covered: Metro Manila
Delivery: Buyers may pick them up from Alley 1 Project 6 or book through delivery apps. Buyers are in charge of booking and payment.
Bahay Kubo Mart
Bahay Kubo Mart “connects people to real food”. True enough, this Valenzuela-based fruit, vegetable, and recently, seafood supplier offers veggies from Cordillera, and quality fishes and crustaceans from Navotas.
It was such a relief for us to discover this service because there’s not a lot of variety of fishes in our location, and we rarely get good quality ones as well.
How to order: Message @bahaykubomart | Facebook.com/bahaykubomart
Minimum order: PhP 500.00 worth of purchase
Order Cut Offs: For Wednesday Deliveries: Tuesdays, 6:00 pm, For Friday Deliveries: Thursdays, 6:00 PM
Areas Covered: Metro Manila, Mega Manila (Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan)*
Delivery Fee: Free delivery in selected areas within Valenzuela
Other areas within Metro Manila: PhP 150.00 fixed rate
Mega Manila: Via Lalamove/Grab/Angkas
Payment: BDO, BPI, GCash
They also launched a mobile palengke in Barangay Balonbato every Wednesday.
Manang Biday’s Kitchen
Manang Biday’s Kitchen offers fermented vegetables such as Kimchi and Curtido (south American relish). We keep a bottle or two of them in the fridge for those DIY Samgyupsal lunches and fried days for an instant side dish and a serving of fiber.
They ferment in batches so you can wait for their announcement and order.
Price: PhP 300.00 per kilo
How to order: Message Lyecel Tauli on Facebook
Payment: BDO fund transfer
Delivery: For pick up at Veterans Village, Quezon City. The buyer is in charge of booking Grab/Lalamove/Angkas (after 12:00 PM onwards only).
Hygiene and Household Products
Human Heart Nature
We’ve been Human Heart Nature users since 2017 and it has been our primary source of hygiene products: facial wash, toners, conditioners, feminine wash, and more. We’re members so we get a 25% discount from the retail price and enjoy free deliveries for a minimum amount.
Although there were some slight delays in delivery and out of stock items (specially sanitizers and insect repellents), we’re glad they’re still functional and reliable even under the ECQ. We’re also supporting their advocacy: Pro-Philippines, Pro-poor, and Pro-environment.
How to order: Create an account and order at https://humanheartnature.com/
Payment: Credit card, Fund Transfer, Bank Deposit
Messy Bessy
Messy Bessy is back! This company put the social enterprise on the map by supporting H.OU.S.E. (Helping OUrselves through Sustainable Enterprises) Foundation, Inc. Through HOUSE, the company educates, trains, and develops formerly abused, trafficked, and/or incarcerated, out of school youth whenever you purchase their all-natural, eco-friendly, and locally-sourced products.
It was our first time to try their house cleaning items: Disinfectant Aroma Spray and Dish Cleaner. We love the scent and how effective they are. As of writing, their website is down and their Shopee store is still on vacation mode, but we were able to order via email and the items were delivered soon as stocks were available.
How to order: https://www.facebook.com/pg/messybessycleaners
E-mail virtualhub@messybessy.com
Payment: BDO and BPI fund transfer
Delivery Fee: PhP 200.00 (in our area)
Groceries
Landers
We purchased a membership card online in the early days of ECQ hoping to have our groceries delivered at home. Unfortunately, slots were always fully booked until they opened new schedules in May.
We’re happy that we were able to get our pantry staples and other household products in just 3 days. They mostly carry international brands, and so we were happy to be able to get our giant Skippy Peanut Butter (we’re nuts about this), and other alternatives that aren’t available elsewhere.
We can’t complain about the website but I guess it would help if it were easier to navigate, or if there was an app. A lot of our preferred items were also out of stock but there are other available options.
Note: Shopper must have a membership card. If you aren’t already, you can purchase this from their website.
How to order: Create an account at https://www.landers.ph
Areas Covered: Metro Manila, Selected areas in Mega Manila and Cebu
Delivery Fee: Free for a minimum purchase
Payment: Credit card, Cash on Delivery
Baby Products
Tiny Buds
I couldn’t get Tikoy’s tooth gel and fabric conditioner anywhere so I was glad to find out that they have a Shopee store. My order arrived 2 weeks later which isn’t bad given our current situation.
How to order: Order through Tiny Buds Official Shop in Shopee
Payment: Credit card, Shopee Pay, bank transfer, COD
We hope our list helps you in finding easier alternatives to procure essentials in the new normal while supporting small and local businesses. Stay safe, everyone!
Mark x Abi 
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