After a yearlong commitment and effort in battling environmental issues, the Malayan Colleges Mindanao (MCM) recently turned over some 100 classroom plastic chairs to its adapted school Matina Aplaya Elementary School.
“As an institution whose mission is to provide solutions to problems of industries and communities locally and beyond, it imposes us to partake in the mitigation of this huge national problem and have to start in our own “backyard,” MCM Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dodjie Maestrecampo said during the Pitch-In: Recycled Plastic Chairs Turnover Ceremony at the public elementary school’s gymnasium.
Maestrecampo added that in the first year of operation of MCM, the school launched an Integrated Plastic Waste Management program whose goal is to contribute to the decrease the flow of waste plastics into the marine and agricultural ecosystem in Davao City.
MCM’s project elicited the appreciation of the Davao City government.
“On behalf of the City Government of Davao, I would like to express my gratitude to the Malayan Colleges Mindanao in partnership with Winder Recycling Company and PetroEnergy Resources Corporation for organizing this ecological platform which contributes in addressing the global issues pertaining to our environment,” Davao City mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said through a message delivered on her behalf.
MCM’s program not only educated its staff and students but also encouraged families to understand the effects of plastic pollution in the environment.
MCM’s Integrated Plastic Reduction project sees that the plastic wastes collected are immobilized through solidification and converted into chemically safe, functional, sturdy, classroom chairs.
“To the students, faculty and staff of Matina Aplaya Elementary School, may these new chairs inspire each of you to continue to do your part — to study and learn, to teach and encourage, to support one another and to also do what you can to reduce, reuse and recycle for the benefit of our only home, our planet earth,” Mayor Duterte-Carpio said.
In less than a year (10 months), MCM has done four coastal clean-up activities. In addition to that, there is continuous collection of domestic plastic wastes brough to the school during regular pitch-in activities.
“The collection amassed a total of more than 3,000 kg,” Maestrecampo said.
“Through our partners, the Winder Recycling Company, and PetroEnergy Resources Corporation, we immobilized this 3 tons of plastic wastes into 100 classroom chairs with armrest,” Maestrecampo enthusiastically emphasized.
After the initial turnover, MCM’s project does not end there. “We plan to donate 300 chairs in the next school year,” Maestrecampo added.
