By Christine Baer | Grants Manager
Our Work in Southern Leyte
The Philippines is one of the most typhoon-affected countries globally, with an average of 20 impacting the region annually. Typhoons are among the deadliest and most destructive recurrent disasters. Super Typhoon Rai, locally known as Odette, made landfall on December 16th, 2021, bringing torrential rains, violent winds, floods and storm surges to the Visayas and Mindanao Islands. Rai caused devastating impacts on infrastructure, agriculture and fishing communities and damaged or destroyed 1.7 million homes. An estimated 9.9 million people were severely affected, leaving 2.4 million people in need of assistance and 408 fatalities. Southern Leyte was one of the worst-affected provinces. Out of 528 schools, 312 of them were severely impacted. Rai destroyed 522 classrooms and damaged over 1,500.
AHAH’s Response
We took on our 24th school rebuild in the Philippines at Santo Nino National High School in Southern Leyte. This special rebuild commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami and honored the legacy of Simon Atlee. In a community where opportunity had long been limited after destructive typhoons, we created space for growth: a brand-new, safe school building, two additional learning spaces made with Amakan (a sustainable bamboo material) and a full site transformation that supports 100+ students and 14 stafffrom 7th - 10th grade.
For the first time, students were provided safe access to clean drinking water through a new biosand filtration system, a 2,000-liter water tank and seven drinking taps. We also removed four unsafe temporary learning spaces and retrofitted a four-classroom building using Cement Bamboo Frame Technology to build strong, disaster-resilient spaces that enhance local livelihoods.
With the additional classrooms, Sto. Nino became officially certified to offer senior high classes—opening the door to brighter futures and lifelong possibilities.
Our Work in Infrastructure
Sto. Nino National High School
The main school building was constructed using Cement Bamboo Frame Technology, a disaster-resilient, sustainable building technique. The additional learning spaces use Amakan, a traditional woven bamboo material that supports natural ventilation and insulation. As a renewable resource, Amakan allows the community to maintain the structures using local knowledge and skills. The new buildings provide safe, healthy and inviting learning facilities to secure continuous school activity and mitigate the risks of future hazardous events.
Cement Bamboo Frame Technology
Sustainability and endurance is at the core of Cement Bamboo Frame Technology (CBFT), which provides livelihood to farmers while benefiting the environment. The strong root network of bamboo stabilizes soil and water tables. Remarkably, bamboo reaches structural grade in just three to five years, making it an efficient and renewable building material. Its use in construction has a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to conventional systems. Additionally, buildings made with bamboo offer a more comfortable indoor climate, reducing energy consumption during occupation. Bamboo structures have remarkable resilience, standing strong against earthquakes and typhoons, with strength comparable to steel.
WASH Facilities
The team installed new drinking stations and a biosand filtration system at Sto. Nino School, where previous water tests revealed dangerously high levels of E. coli. With the addition of a 2,000-liter storage tank and biosand filter, the school now has access to clean, safe drinking water year-round. This sustainable, low-maintenance solution ensures a continuous fresh water supply to the school's reserve tank throughout the year and enhances the overall water security for the community.
Female Mason Training
See how our female mason trainees contributed to the Sto Nino High School build in the video: Building Transitional Learning Spaces for Filipino Communities.
Community Projects
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Training included a community session on soil stability and vetiver grass planting for eco-friendly disaster mitigation, attended by 28 community members. Additionally, all students and staff participated in first-aid training with the Red Cross, as well as a disaster preparedness workshop and drill. These efforts led to a 43% increase in students feeling very prepared for hazardous events and 100% reporting they know how to contact local officials in emergencies.
Life Skills Trainings, facilitated by our local partner Streetlight, focused on Child Protection while also providing 102 students with age-appropriate health education on topics such as screen time, stress management, understanding puberty and exploring intimacy.
We Want to Thank You!
Your donations enabled us to build safe and beautiful school facilities, secure access to clean water and engage students in life skills workshops, honoring 20 years of resilience and recovery and shaping a brighter future for this community.
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