Confiscated logs put to good use in 2 Caraga schools

MANILA, Philippines — Close to 4,000 armchairs made from confiscated logs were turned over on Friday to two of the most populated schools in the Caraga region.

Converting illegal logs into school armchairs is a joint undertaking of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), Department of Education (DepED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) dubbed as “Pinoy Bayanihan” project to address the shortage in school facilities nationwide.

Butuan Central Elementary School received 1,900 armchairs while Agusan National High
School got 2,000 armchairs.

The two schools became the second and third recipients of the armchair donations under the “Pnoy Bayanihan” project after 500 new armchairs were turned over middle of last year to Ramon Magsaysay High School in Cubao, Quezon City.

“With the 2,000 armchairs that we received under the Pnoy Bayanihan project, students no longer have to endure sitting on wooden benches for hours,” said Peter Esterioso, principal of the Agusan National High School Principal Peter Esterioso.

At present, Esterioso said at least two students share a school bench in every classroom, and the limited elbow space makes them less comfortable.

While Butuan Central Elementary School has more than 2,000 usable armchairs and school desks,  they are not  enough to serve the more  than 5,000 students who attend either morning or afternoon class sessions, according to its principal, Rey Collado.

Besides, Collado said their school chairs were also over 10 years old and were always being repaired.

“Being the largest public elementary school in the Caraga region, the Butuan Central Elementary School is perennially faced with the difficulty of accommodating its ever increasing number of enrolees,” he said.

“Apart from lack of learning spaces, we are always faced with the problem of providing comfortable chairs to our students. The 1,900 armchairs donation,” he added.

Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer Cristino Naguiat, Jr. hopes that through this “Pnoy Bayanihan” project, the government would be able to help ease the  backlog on armchairs in public schools nationwide.

DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro said that the public school sector lacks at least 2.5 million chairs in 45,000 public elementary and high schools nationwide.

“Pagcor through the help of other concerned agencies like the DepED, TESDA and DENR, will try to do its part in improving basic education in the country,” said Naguiat.

Apart from the donation of 3,900 armchairs to Butuan Central Elementary School and Agusan National High School, more than 16,000 school chairs are due for donation to other public schools in the Caraga region.