DENR Bicol donates 24,563 bd. ft. of wood to DepEd

LEGAZPI CITY, March 26 – Consistent with its policy to support the government’s efforts of improving the educational facilities of public schools, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Bicol donated some 24,563 board feet (bd. ft.) of undocumented and confiscated logs and lumbers to the Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Office 5.

DENR Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada revealed that 40 public schools in the province of Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes and Sorsogon have benefitted from the donation made in CY 2011.

All the confiscated wood will be used in making chairs and desks, and with the repairs of school buildings.

“The DENR Bicol turned over all these confiscated logs and lumbers since November 2011, and furnished with the deeds of donation were the recipient schools and the DepEd Regional Office,” Director Fragada said.

Earlier, Environment Sec. Ramon Paje revealed that some 54,303 pieces of essential school furniture and facilities have so far been produced from undocumented logs and lumber. The output involved the conversion of some seven million bd. ft. of wood into 48,620 school chairs; 4,777 school desks; 660 tables; 132 cabinets; 98 benches and 16 bookshelves.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) which, under the “PNoy Bayanihan Project”, also turned over some 21,000 school chairs to DepEd from the 761,538 bd. ft. of wood that the DENR has supplied to TESDA, which in turn, manufactured it into school chairs with funding support from Philippine Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).

Another 27,620 school chairs were turned over to public schools through other outlets that sponsored the conversion into school chairs such as local government units (18,404) the Philippine National Police (20) and even the DENR (589). Part of the donated wood also went into the repair of 334 school buildings and public facilities.

Since 2010, a total of 12.06 million bd. ft.of undocumented forest products has been confiscated by the DENR, of which some 7 million bd. ft. have already been donated.  The remaining balance of 5 million bd. ft. are either undergoing litigation procedures or awaiting clearance for donation, according to him. (RFuby Mendones, DENR/PIA Sorsogon)