Care for school chairs program

Director’s Cut: (This portion features the thoughts of DepEd Davao Regional Director Gloria D. Benigno, CESO IV to all stakeholders and recipients of the efforts to improve the basic education)

"Consider me as your team leader and I will consider you as my teammates;
together, let us work as a team"

In a clear manifestation of cooperation and mutual support to make a difference in the lives of our schoolchildren, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Davao region donated the confiscated logs to be fabricated into arm chairs to the Department of Education (DepED) Davao Region.

On October 25, Usec Demetrio Ignacio and Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada of the DENR spearheaded the formal turnover of the hot logs to DepED to make them useful for the pupils and students to enjoy.

DepED was led by Regional Director Gloria D. Benigno, CESO IV with Schools
Division Superintendents (SDS) Helen Paguican and Reynaldo Guillena of Davao City and Davao Oriental respectively.

Also present during the turnover was Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, 2nd District of Davao City Representative Mylene Garcia Albano and Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy whose brainchild Care for School Chairs Program was tapped to be given the task of converting the said illegally cut logs to arm chairs and other furniture for DepEd schools.

On the same date, more than 300 armchairs were delivered to Sasa Elementary School and Daniel Perez Elementary School, both in Davao City's 2nd District as part of the Care for School Chairs Project.

It could be remembered that it was in February 2011 when President Benigno S. Aquino III issued Executive Order No. 23 mandating a total log ban in the entire country.

Five months later, the DENR Office started donating confiscated logs from Loreto, Agusan del Sur.

The strict implementation of the said order resulted to the swift turn-around of events that led to the birth of Care for School Chairs Program.
Prior to to EO 23, Tagum City was already fabricating school furniture like students' chairs and teachers' chairs and tables at the Fabrication Section of Tagum City Motorpool.

Having supplied all the city schools with needed furniture for free, Mayor Uy extended the program to the rest of the schools in Davao Region, other parts of Mindanao and parts of Luzon with the support of government agencies, business establishments, private corporation, committed people from the academe, civic society organizations fraternities and sororities.

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As of October 16, this year, 78,333 assorted furniture were fabricated and delivered throughout Mindanao, some parts of Visayas and Luzon.

As of this writing, the Care for School Chairs Program of Tagum City has gained national recognition when it was evaluated as finalist in the Galing Pook Awards and waiting for the final result to be announced.

Even without the recognition, the said noble project has already carved an indelible mark in the lives of those schoolchildren who were benefitted by the project.

It is hoped that more and more people will extend help to sustain the project's existence for the good of the generations to come.

You can access DepED Updates, latest issuances and other relevant information through our website: region11.deped.gov.ph. and our Facebook Page: http:// www.facebook.com/deped.regionxi For comments, suggestions and/or contributions, email depedregion11@gmail.com. For queries, complains and other concerns, call DepED Region 11 at (082) 227-9342 or fax to (082) 227-1102 and (082) 221-6147.