Conducive learning for QC pupils with armchairs grant

25 November 2014

The Technical Education and Skills Development Agency (TESDA) and partner government agencies and private institutions made sure that students at a Quezon City school would be inspired to learn and will no longer have to share a seat during classes with the turnover of 300 armchairs.
 
TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva led other officials in giving the chairs to the Pasong Tamo Elementary School as part of a joint project to help ease the shortage of the school furniture.
 
The chairs were from confiscated logs, and then manufactured by TESDA trainees into furniture for the use of the students.
 
"The opportunity to make available to students the environment that is engaging, comfortable, and one that will allow them to remain focused on learning is what we hope to achieve from this project," Villanueva said.
 
"We know that in due time, the government can provide funds for school chairs, but with these armchairs manufactured from confiscated logs being given to public schools for free, funds could be used for other needs to better enhance the learning of students," Villaneva added.
 
The turnover took place on Tuesday, November 25 and attended by Villanueva, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista and Jollibee Foods Corporation president Grace Tan Caktiong.
 
In 2012, TESDA signed a memorandum of agreement with Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Education, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to implement a project called Pinoy Bayanihan, which puts to good use confiscated logs in the provinces by turning them into school armchairs.
 
The project aims to augment the available armchairs in public schools and help solve the shortage.
 
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.
 
In 2013, TESDA also entered into an agreement with Jollibee Group Foundation, Inc. to help produce more chairs.  
 
As of October 2014, a total of 53,876 armchairs have been produced of which 5 3,77 6 have been distributed to various schools in Metro Manila and the CARAGA region in Mindanao. On the other hand, the training-cum-production approach adopted in the project has turned out 229 graduates in furniture and cabinet making, wood working machine operation, carpentry, and furniture making (finishing).