QC school gets armchairs from TESDA, partner agencies

31 July 2014

A Quezon City public school became the latest recipient of armchairs manufactured from confiscated logs under a multi-agency project called Pinoy Bayanihan.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), together with partner agencies, led the turnover of 200 units of the chairs to the Pasong Tamo Elementary School on Thursday, July 31.

"This will make a great difference in the school and will also attract more children to study in the community," Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA Director General, said.

Villanueva graced the turnover ceremony together with Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Quezon City Representative Kit Belmonte, Director William Ragos of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), former partylist Representative Bernadette Herrera-Dy, assistant schools division superintendent Dr. Freddie Abendano of the Department of Education (DepEd), and TESDA National Capital Region director Mitzi Tangonan.

The initiative was under a project called Pinoy Bayanihan, which puts to good use confiscated logs in the provinces by turning them into armchairs.

As of May 2014, a total of 53,876 armchairs have been produced of which 52,956 have been distributed to various schools in Metro Manila and the CARAGA region in Mindanao.

The project was launched in 2012 in partnership with TESDA, DepEd, DENR and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

The DENR processed the logs into materials ready for manufacture, while TESDA established production sites in Metro Manila and CARAGA. Through its training-cum-production strategy, the agency trains the youth in carpentry and cabinet making to produce the chairs.

PAGCOR provided the funds to purchase equipment to be used in the project, and DepEd takes charge of distributing the armchairs to school beneficiaries.