MANILA, Philippines — Grab Philippines and education nonprofit HOPE broke ground for a new public school classroom at Inang Maharang Elementary School in Manito, Albay, funded through about P1.4 million raised via in-app donations. The amount was generated from a mix of user-donated GrabRewards points through the GrabBayanihan program and a dedicated “Grab HOPE Hour,” during which proceeds from GrabCar rides and GrabFood deliveries within a 60-minute window were channeled to the project. The classroom will serve more than 100 pupils from remote villages in Manito. The site was chosen after Typhoon Uwan damaged public facilities in the area and destroyed two makeshift classrooms at the school, leaving students without safe learning spaces and prompting the need for more durable structures, the partners said. Grab Philippines Country Head Ronald Roda said the initiative allows users to take part in what he described as “digital bayanihan,” or collective community effort, turning daily rides, deliveries, and rewards points into education infrastructure. “These are new safe spaces where Filipino children can learn, dream, and grow,” Roda said, adding that the company aims to make community support for education easier and more accessible. The classroom is designed as a 7-by-9-meter learning space with four windows, wall-mounted electric fans, complete electrical wiring, lighting fixtures, and an in-room bathroom with full plumbing. It will also be furnished with standard fixtures, including a teacher’s desk and a chalkboard. HOPE Founder and Executive Chairman Nanette Medved-Po said the partnership with Grab forms a key part of the organization’s efforts to improve public school education. She said the collaboration has enabled users to convert Grab points into donations and participate in initiatives such as the first-ever Grab HOPE Hour held in October, which helped fund the classroom in Bicol. “This classroom is the first of many that we hope will ensure safe access to learning and inspire communities around business for good,” Medved-Po said, adding that more joint activities and additional classrooms are planned. Grab and HOPE said they intend to sustain the collaboration through 2026, with plans to expand education infrastructure and development initiatives beyond Bicol. Users who wish to participate may allocate GrabRewards points to HOPE through the app’s rewards catalog. Roda said the project marks the starting point of a broader effort to help bridge the country’s educational infrastructure gap, with the goal of translating technology-driven initiatives into tangible facilities for communities nationwide.