Grab Philippines and HOPE have broken ground on a new public school classroom in Manito, Albay, funded by about P1.4 million raised through innovative in-app donation drives.
The project demonstrates the power of “digital bayanihan,” where everyday transactions—such as GrabCar rides, GrabFood deliveries, and the donation of GrabRewards points—were converted into tangible education infrastructure.
The classroom will be built inside Inang Maharang Elementary School, which serves more than 100 students in the remote barangays of Manito. The site was selected after Typhoon Uwan damaged public facilities in the area and destroyed two makeshift classrooms at the school, the partners said, leaving students without safe learning spaces and underscoring the need for more permanent, resilient structures.
“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,” Ronald Roda, Grab Philippines country head said.
The Grab and HOPE classroom is designed as a seven-by-nine-meter learning space with four windows, wall-mounted electric fans, complete electrical wiring with outlets and lighting fixtures, and an in-room bathroom with full plumbing. It will also include standard interior fixtures such as a teacher’s desk and a chalkboard.
“We are so excited about the ways we can continue to work with the Grab community to give their contribution and make an impact to 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,” Nanette Medved-Po, HOPE founder and executive chairperson said.
“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.”
The companies plan to sustain the collaboration through 2026, expanding infrastructure and development initiatives beyond Bicol. To participate, users can navigate to the GrabRewards catalog in-app and allocate points to HOPE,” she added.
