Seized logs to be used for classrooms, desks, chairs in Tagum

TAGUM CITY, Philippines — The city government is building a larger sawmill to process logs confiscated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources into lumber for use in building classrooms, school desks and chairs, Mayor Rey Uy said.

The initial batch of the donations from the DENR, consisting of 334 logs, arrived at the city’s motor pool on Wednesday. The DENR was expected to turn over 1,600 more logs, which Uy said would require a larger facility for processing.

“The city government would also build a new and larger sawmill to finish fabricating school furniture out of the more than 2,000 pieces of apprehended logs the DENR will be turning over,” he said.

Uy said he was overjoyed the DENR provided such a large volume of material for the city government’s campaign to build more chairs, desks and classrooms.

“We can save a lot in making additional school furniture like chairs and desks from these logs,” he said.

Jim Sampulna, DENR southern Mindanao regional head, had initially thought of just impounding the logs, seized in Compostela Valley a few weeks ago, for safekeeping here but Uy said he later acceded to the request to have these transformed into more useful things.

“After processing and documentation we were allowed to have these confiscated logs sawed and made into chairs and other schoolroom fixtures for our DepEd [Department of Education],” he said.

Uy said he expected quality lumber, chairs and desks because the wood consisted of prime species such as “lauan”, “yakal” and “apitong”.