Following the onslaught of Typhoon Sendong in December 2011, Pilmico and its partner organizations started work on the 24-classroom school building at the Bayanihan Village Relocation site in Santa Elena, Iligan City in 2012. Pilmico formally turned over the school building, now named Tomas Cabili National High School, to the local arm of the Department of Education in August 2013.

The Php 25million facility is Pilmico’s single biggest Corporate Social Reponsibility project to date.

Since its launch, Tomas Cabili National High School has seen a 200% increase in their student population. Almost five years on, Santa Elena is now as a bustling community for survivors of Typhoon Sendong. More importantly, children are very happy to be back in school.

Rebecco Omlero, the School Head of Tomas Cabili National High School shares:

We feel very fortunate not only for the part of the teachers but also for the children and parents. We have the great opportunity to receive such a generous donation. Swerte kami, swerte ang mga mag-aaral.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Tomas Cabili National High School project reveal about Pilmico’s long-term view of community investment?
The willingness to commit PHP 25 million to a single school building — and then to report on it five years later — reflects a long-term view of CSR that extends well beyond program cycles. Rather than measuring success at the point of turnover, Pilmico’s follow-up report implicitly acknowledges accountability for the school’s ongoing performance. This longitudinal perspective distinguishes the project from transactional philanthropy and positions it as a genuine community partnership with a lasting institutional commitment.

What was the origin story of the Tomas Cabili National High School?
The school was built as a direct response to Typhoon Sendong, which struck Iligan City in December 2011. Pilmico and its partner organizations began construction in 2012 on a 24-classroom building at the Bayanihan Village Relocation site in Santa Elena, Iligan City — a community established for survivors displaced by the typhoon. The building was formally turned over to the Department of Education in August 2013, with the school taking the name Tomas Cabili National High School.

What was the financial scale of this CSR investment?
The Tomas Cabili National High School represented a PHP 25 million investment — confirmed as Pilmico’s single largest Corporate Social Responsibility project to date at the time of this report. This scale reflects a deliberate decision to commit to a permanent, substantial community infrastructure asset rather than distributing the same funds across smaller, less impactful interventions. The decision to build a 24-classroom school is itself a statement about the intended long-term impact.

What measurable impact had the school achieved within five years of its launch?
Within approximately five years of opening, Tomas Cabili National High School had seen a 200% increase in its student population — a quantitative indicator of both the school’s acceptance by the community and the growth of the Santa Elena community itself. School Head Rebecco Omlero described the situation as fortunate for both teachers and students alike, expressing gratitude for the generous donation and the opportunity it created for the community’s children.

What was the broader community impact of the school beyond education?
The school’s construction and growth reflected the broader transformation of Santa Elena itself. Almost five years after Typhoon Sendong devastated the area, Santa Elena had evolved from a relocation site into what the article describes as a bustling community. The school was thus both a cause and a symbol of recovery — not merely a building, but an anchor institution that gave the community a reason to establish roots and invest in rebuilding settled, permanent lives.