PATIN-AY, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, Philippines – Recognizing them as the “new heroes” in modern times, the 115 trainees who manufactured the armchairs that were distributed to various public schools in Butuan City and neighboring areas in the Caraga Region will each receive a recognition and certificate of competency from the government.

Secretary Emmanuel Joel Villanueva of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) made the announcement during the turnover of some 6,096 armchairs to 10 schools in the Caraga Region held recently at the covered court of the Butuan Central Elementary School (BCES) in Butuan City.

The TESDA chief was given the opportunity to meet the 115 trainees when he visited the manufacturing site of the armchairs at the Agusan del Sur School of Arts and Trades (ASSAT) here last week.

The official further announced that the trainees will receive certificates of competency on furniture-making and operating furniture making machineries.

The trainees will also receive livelihood components courtesy of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and training fee will be provided to them, said Villanueva.

“Instead of being bystanders, they will learn and earn, at the same time their effort to help the government must also be recognized,” he said.

Villanueva also said that the end product of the project is the comfort given to the school children as they continue to learn and be the future leaders of the country.

In a related development, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman Cristino Naguiat Jr. said the country’s amusement and gaming agency would continue to support the “P-Noy Bayanihan” project, as it aimed to promote human development.

During last Friday’s turnover of armchairs in Butuan City, the Pagcor head announced the initial allocation of the amount of P100 million for the “P-Noy Bayanihan” project, for the conversion of seized illegally-sourced logs to armchairs.

The donated logs and lumbers are among the big accomplishments of the anti-illegal logging task force of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Caraga Region, spearheaded by Regional Executive Director Leonardo R. Sibbaluca.

The official said this is just one of the Pagcor’s projects for education, and more projects are expected to be realized.

He added that they were able to allocate, together with the Department of Education (DepEd), a budget amounting to some P1 billion for the construction of school buildings.

With this, Naguiat said the Aquino government was able to allocate these huge budgets in a right way.

“No corruption in all these transactions, that is why we were able to come-up with such big projects,” he said.

Naguiat added that never in the history of Pagcor that they were able to conduct such big project like the P100 billion school building projects.

Naguiat, together with DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro, Villanueva, and DENR Assistant Secretary Michelle Angelica Go graced the turnover of armchairs held at the covered court of the Butuan Central Elementary School.