Dolefil Chair for Trees Program

For every school chair donated by DOLEFIL, 27 tree seedlings are planted. 

That is how DOLEFIL cares for the environment and at the same time gives back to the communities mainly of South Cotabato and other parts of Soccsksargen. This is being materialized through DOLEFIL's Chairs for Trees project, a corporate-cooperative-community partnership which was being implemented since 2003 and whose goal is to increase the numbers of school desk and chairs in the communities of Region 12 or SOCCSKSARGEN.

From DOLEFIL's recycled wooden pallets to arm chairs. Soccsksargen Bloggers witnessed how Chair for Trees is being implemented.

DOLEFIL partners with Unified Engineering and Manpower Services Multi Purpose Cooperative which is responsible for the manufacturing of school chairs made from the recycled wooden pallets from DOLEFIL. Every chair fabricated by the cooperative is being paid P270.00 by Dolefil which is then distributed to recipient public schools around the region with the help of the Mahintana Foundation. In return and as a reciprocating action, recipient of the Chair for Trees project are required to plant and grow one tree for every P10.00 worth of DOLEFIL’s assistance or 27 seedlings per armchair, they must also achieve an 80% survival rate for planted trees to able to request for additional assistance.

One of the many public schools recipient of DOLEFIL's Chair for Trees project are the pupils of Upper Klinan Elementary School in Polomolok, South Cotabato

Since the implementation of the Chair for Trees Project, DOLEFIL has already distributed  not less than 50 thousand armchairs, kiddie chairs and tables and  more than 1.3 million trees already planted.

The seedlings used for planting for the Chair for Trees project are sourced from Mt. Matutum Federation of Marginal Farmers Association , an all-women cooperative with nurseries in Brgy. Maligo, Polomolok, South Cotabato

Congratulations to DOLEFIL, and two thumbs up for its Chair for Trees project, it does not only cares for the environment and help solve the problem of lack of school chairs in the public schools within the region, it also generate livelihood opportunities to residents in the communities.

Dolefil is a division of Dole Food Company in the Philippines,  the world’s largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables.