Grab, HOPE break ground on new classroom in Bicol

Grab Philippines and HOPE have officially broken ground on the first classroom to be built at Inang Maharang Elementary School. [L-R] Grab Philippines Country Head Ronald Roda, HOPE Founder and Executive Chairperson Nanette Medved-Po

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Travel, Blogs, Children
29 Dec 2025
4 mins
Out of Town Blog
Melo Villareal

Author: Melo Villareal

MANILA, Philippines — Grab Philippines and HOPE have broken ground on a new public school classroom in Manito, Albay, funded by about P1.4 million in in-app donations that transformed everyday rides, meal deliveries, and rewards points into support for education infrastructure. The amount was raised through a combination of user-donated GrabRewards points via GrabBayanihan—where customers […]

Out of Town Blog

Grab, HOPE break ground on new classroom in Bicol

MANILA, Philippines — Grab Philippines and HOPE have broken ground on a new public school classroom in Manito, Albay, funded by about P1.4 million in in-app donations that transformed everyday rides, meal deliveries, and rewards points into support for education infrastructure.

The amount was raised through a combination of user-donated GrabRewards points via GrabBayanihan—where customers converted their “GrabCoins” into contributions—and a special “Grab HOPE Hour,” which generated additional donations from GrabCar rides and GrabFood deliveries within a designated 60-minute period.

The new classroom will be built within Inang Maharang Elementary School, which serves more than 100 students from remote barangays in Manito. The site was selected after Typhoon Uwan damaged public facilities and destroyed two makeshift classrooms at the school, leaving students without safe learning spaces and underscoring the need for permanent, disaster-resilient structures.

Grab Philippines Country Head Ronald Roda shares, “Grab is dedicated to moving not just goods and people, but also moving malasakit into action. Together with HOPE, we’re giving our users a simple way to participate in digital bayanihan, turning their everyday rides, deliveries, and rewards into real classrooms. These are new safe spaces where Filipino children can learn, dream, and grow. By making it easier for communities to support these initiatives, we help build a stronger foundation for the country’s next generation.”

The Grab and HOPE classroom is designed as a 7-by-9-meter learning space that can comfortably accommodate a standard public school class. The room will feature four wide windows to maximize natural light and ventilation, supported by several wall-mounted electric fans for better air circulation throughout the day. It will be equipped with complete electrical wiring, including multiple power outlets to support instructional tools and devices, and energy-efficient lighting fixtures for various teaching and learning activities.

For added convenience, safety, and hygiene, the classroom will also include an in-room bathroom with complete plumbing, providing students and teachers with direct access to clean, sanitary facilities without leaving the learning space. To ensure the room is ready for immediate use, it will include standard interior fixtures such as a teacher’s desk, a chalkboard or whiteboard, student chairs and desks, and basic storage units for books and learning materials.

HOPE Founder and Executive Chairperson Nanette Medved-Po underscored how the partnership with Grab is a significant part of HOPE’s long-term education and community development programs and is already making a substantial impact on public school education in the Philippines. “We are so excited about the ways we can continue to work with the Grab community to give our contribution and make an impact on public school education in the Philippines. HOPE’s partnership with Grab has been very engaging and exciting for their subscribers: from converting their Grab points to donations, to mounting last October our first-ever GRAB HOPE Hour, when every ride, every order contributed to the classroom we’re building in Bicol. This classroom is the first of many that we hope will not only guarantee safe access to learning but inspire communities around business for good. We look forward to more activities with Grab this coming new year, and more classrooms for our public schools.”

To build on this initial success, HOPE and Grab plan to sustain and grow the collaboration through 2026. Their shared goal is to expand infrastructure and development initiatives beyond Bicol, reaching more public schools and communities that need safe, functional, and inspiring learning environments. The program will continue to leverage the Grab platform and its users to turn everyday transactions into opportunities for long-term educational support.

To participate, users can simply open the Grab app, go to the GrabRewards catalog, and allocate their points to HOPE. Each contribution, no matter how small, helps fund the construction of additional classrooms and supports HOPE’s broader mission to improve access to quality public education across the Philippines.

“This classroom serves as the starting line of our shared vision to bridge the educational infrastructure gap in the Philippines. We are dedicated to scaling this initiative, ensuring that our technology continues to translate into tangible structures for communities across the country,” Roda adds.