By: Mer M. Sudaria
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Department of Education (DepEd) views McDonald’s Philippines’ ReClassified program as an opportunity to go beyond providing much-needed classroom furniture by helping students understand that materials often discarded as waste can be repurposed and given a useful second life.
“Aside from the chairs in classrooms, which we all know are truly helpful to our students, the principle behind ReClassified is recycling, which makes it sustainable,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said. “It teaches children that things often thrown away can be transformed into something useful. Instead of throwing waste away, we recycle and repurpose it.”
McDonald’s Philippines brought ReClassified to here for the first time, turning over 50 repurposed classroom chairs to East City Central School in Barangay Lapasan as part of its continuing partnership with DepEd.
The turnover coincided with the national kick-off of National Teachers’ Month celebration in Mindanao, where Angara led the celebration recognizing the contribution of teachers to the country’s education system.
Launched in 2023, ReClassified is McDonald’s sustainability and education initiative that transforms decommissioned restaurant furniture into durable, purpose-designed furniture for public schools. Tables, chairs, counters, booths, shelves and other materials from restaurant renovations are redesigned into student armchairs, teacher desks, bookshelves and science laboratory tables.
The program is implemented in partnership with sustainability solutions company JunkNot and various education and community partners.
“Our partnership with the Department of Education has given us a deeper appreciation of the needs of our schools, teachers, and students. ReClassified is one way we can respond to a practical need while making sure that what has served us in our restaurants can continue to serve teachers and students in the classroom,” said Margot Torres, Managing Director of McDonald’s Philippines.
This turnover forms part of McDonald’s commitment with DepEd to provide 1,500 ReClassified chairs to public schools by 2027.
To date, the program has repurposed close to 1,000 pieces of classroom furniture, benefiting more than 5,500 students nationwide. ReClassified has reached 20 public schools across nine areas in the country.
The initiative has also received recognition from the Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards and Marketing Excellence Awards Philippines, including a Grand Prix, Gold and Silver awards at the Tambuli Awards and a Gold for Excellence in CSR/Cause Marketing at the Marketing Excellence Awards.
ReClassified builds on McDonald’s longstanding support for education in the Philippines. Its previous initiatives include McClassroom, which provided alternative learning spaces during the pandemic, as well as its continuing participation in Brigada Eskwela and National Teachers’ Month.
Through Ronald McDonald House Charities Philippines (RMHC), McDonald’s also supports early childhood education through Ronald McDonald Bahay Bulilit and promotes foundational literacy among elementary school learners through its Read-To-Learn program.
In Cagayan de Oro, these programs have reached local communities through two Ronald McDonald Bahay Bulilit learning centers, one in Barangay Nazareth and the newest in Macanhan, Barangay Carmen, as well as Read-To-Learn partnerships with 54 schools across the city.
“Being part of our communities is not just about opening more restaurants. It means contributing to the things that matter to the people we serve,” Torres said. “Education has been part of McDonald’s work in the Philippines for decades, and our approach has continued to evolve with the needs of the communities we serve.”
