by Alma L. Tingcang
PAGADIAN CITY, Feb. 12 -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) recently inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with fast-food giant Jollibee Group Corp. (JGC) boosting the government’s logs-to-chair project.
In a press statement released by DENR, the parties agreed to a P2-million deal with JGC to produce school chairs out of confiscated logs.
Signatories of the MOA were DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje, Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) president Grace Tan Caktiong, Secretary Armin Luistro of the Department of Education (DepEd) and Director General Joel Villanueva of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Paje said the agreement was part of the Aquino administration’s “PNoy Bayanihan Project” in which the DENR turns over confiscated lumber to be made into chairs, desks and other school essentials for distribution to public schools nationwide.
“The PNoy Bayanihan Project is mutually beneficial to all parties as it hits three birds with one stone: it is a corruption-free way to dispose of confiscated logs; provides alternative livelihood to manufacturers; and addresses the shortage in physical facilities of our public schools,” Paje pointed out.
“We are certainly glad that JGF has partnered with us to ensure the project’s sustainability and guarantee that the youth, which identifies with the company the most, will become the biggest beneficiary,” Paje said.
Under the MOA, the hot logs confiscated by the DENR will be turned over to TESDA, which has the manpower, training and production facilities to produce armchairs and other classroom furniture.
The DepEd would provide the designs and specifications for the furniture, while a “seed fund” of P2 million will be given by JGF as well as oversee the manufacture of the chairs and coordinate with DepEd in identifying school beneficiaries.
For 2012, confiscated logs donated for the PNoy Bayanihan Project were converted into more than 88,000 chairs, desks and other school furniture, and used to repair 378 public school buildings all over the country. (FPG/ALT/DENR-9/PIA9)
In a press statement released by DENR, the parties agreed to a P2-million deal with JGC to produce school chairs out of confiscated logs.
Signatories of the MOA were DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje, Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) president Grace Tan Caktiong, Secretary Armin Luistro of the Department of Education (DepEd) and Director General Joel Villanueva of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Paje said the agreement was part of the Aquino administration’s “PNoy Bayanihan Project” in which the DENR turns over confiscated lumber to be made into chairs, desks and other school essentials for distribution to public schools nationwide.
“The PNoy Bayanihan Project is mutually beneficial to all parties as it hits three birds with one stone: it is a corruption-free way to dispose of confiscated logs; provides alternative livelihood to manufacturers; and addresses the shortage in physical facilities of our public schools,” Paje pointed out.
“We are certainly glad that JGF has partnered with us to ensure the project’s sustainability and guarantee that the youth, which identifies with the company the most, will become the biggest beneficiary,” Paje said.
Under the MOA, the hot logs confiscated by the DENR will be turned over to TESDA, which has the manpower, training and production facilities to produce armchairs and other classroom furniture.
The DepEd would provide the designs and specifications for the furniture, while a “seed fund” of P2 million will be given by JGF as well as oversee the manufacture of the chairs and coordinate with DepEd in identifying school beneficiaries.
For 2012, confiscated logs donated for the PNoy Bayanihan Project were converted into more than 88,000 chairs, desks and other school furniture, and used to repair 378 public school buildings all over the country. (FPG/ALT/DENR-9/PIA9)
