From Island School in Ruins to The Brun Bear Foundation Center for Learning

All present and correct: Following The Brun Bear Foundation's donation children are back at school

When Super Typhoon Fung-wong (locally known as "Uwan") tore through the Bicol Region of the Philippines in November 2025, it left behind a trail of devastation, including the near-total destruction of Macolabo Elementary School on the remote Macolabo Island in Camarines Norte Province. Roofs were ripped away. Walls buckled. The classrooms where children had laughed, learned and grown fell silent.

Today, those classrooms are open again. And the children of Macolabo Island have a new Center for Learning to call their own.

The transformation has been made possible by a ₱100,000 donation from The Brun Bear Foundation. The Philippine project speaks directly to the Foundation's global child welfare mission: ensuring that children, wherever they are, have access to safe, functional and nurturing learning environments.

Resilient roofing has been installed following  Super Typhoon Fung-wong. Children, wherever they are, should have access to safe, functional and nurturing learning environments

The funds were channelled through the OSM-AD Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of global ship management company OSM Thome, which focuses on community development, education and sustainable social impact across the Philippines and beyond. Under the stewardship of Foundation Manager Noah Ordoño, the project was completed with remarkable speed and purpose, from the first delivery of construction materials on 24 February 2026 to official handover on 27 March 2026, a turnaround of just 31 days.

Crucially, this was not merely a repair job. The restoration, led by the school's own teachers and parents working alongside the OSM-AD Foundation team, delivered a genuine upgrade. New resilient roofing replaced the storm-damaged original. A collapsible partition wall now allows flexible use of the space for larger workshops and community events.

The classrooms have been freshly refurbished throughout. The building has been renamed The Brun Bear Foundation Center for Learning, a permanent testament to the partnership that made it happen.

The official handover took place during the school's Elementary Graduation Ceremony. This was a deeply symbolic moment: the next generation of Macolabo Island's children crossing the threshold into their futures inside a building that almost didn't survive the storm, celebrated beneath the Brun Bear Foundation logo now proudly displayed on the school's exterior wall.

The Brun Bear Foundation Center for Learning is a testament to the partnership that made it happen

The donation was made possible by the generosity of supporters of The Brun Bear Foundation, including purchasers of Mealtimes With My Maritime Friends and participants in the Annual Maritime & Offshore Community Golf Day. The cheque was formally presented to Noah Ordoño at OSM Thome's "A Night of Appreciation" reception in Manila, where Foundation supporters joined OSM Thome executives including Yngve Jonassen, Mailyn Borillo, Julia Anastasiou and Tommy Olofsen in celebrating purpose-driven partnership at its finest.

Noah Ordoño, Foundation Manager at OSM-AD Foundation said: "From OSM-AD Foundation and the community members of Macolabo Island, we thank The Brun Bear Foundation sincerely. This was not just a repair, it was an act of solidarity that the children and families of this island will carry with them always."

"This project is a beautiful example of what happens when a community comes together for a shared purpose"

Founder of The Brun Bear Foundation Edwin Lampert said: "This project is a beautiful example of what happens when a community comes together for a shared purpose. Every book sold, every golf shot played, every dinner enjoyed at our events, every step taken at one of our walks has contributed to something that will endure for the children of Macolabo Island for years to come. We are deeply grateful to Noah Ordoño and the entire OSM-AD Foundation team for the speed, care and dedication with which they delivered this project."

The Brun Bear Foundation's next Annual Maritime & Offshore Community Golf Day takes place on 25 September 2026.

Mealtimes With My Maritime Friends is available now in print and Kindle via Amazon and can be purchased directly from the publisher here.

More books are in the pipeline and the charity's rolling programme of walks and supper clubs continue, including An Award-Winning 4-Course Filipino Feast on April 11.

And as always, Everyone's Invited.

To read the full The Brun Bear Foundation - Macolabo Elementary School repair completion report please click here