MANILA, Philippines –
Engineers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command, and a U.S.
Navy Construction Civic Action Detail Philippines (CCAD-P or “SEABEES”) are
working together to construct public buildings in three different Cebu
communities that will benefit more than 1,300 school children, and 150
civilians.
The U.S. Pacific Command has invested more than PhP14 million ($330,000
USD) for the construction of a five-classroom building for Poog Elementary
School in Toledo City; for a three-classroom building and comfort room at
Aloguinsan Central Elementary School in Aloguinsan; and for the repair of
living, cooking, laundry and educational facilities at a rehabilitation Center
for the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 7 in Barangay
Labangon, Cebu City.The new classrooms are being built according to typhoon and earthquake-resistant
design required by the Department of Education. These projects support the local
economy though the purchase of building materials, lodging and food from local
businesses.
CCAD Philippines is a unit of approximately 28 U.S. Navy Seabees and
Sailors who have teamed up with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to complete
humanitarian assistance construction in hard-to-access and disaster-affected
areas in the Philippines. Through their joint projects, U.S. and Philippine
engineers learn to work well together, and share expertise as they undertake
active construction projects. This experience develops their joint capability to
operate alongside one another and to rapidly respond when disasters strike.
CCAD Philippines is here at the invitation of the Government of
Philippines, and the projects underway were chosen through a joint process by
the U.S. Embassy, U.S. Navy’s 30th Naval Construction Regiment, the respective
AFP Unified Command, and regional, city, and barangay offices.
CCAD Philippines has been working on the ground in Cebu since February 2014
to complete these and other projects, rotating units in and out every few
months. CCAD Philippines goals are to increase teamwork between AFP and U.S.
Navy military engineers; strengthen people to people ties between U.S. military,
AFP and the Filipino people; and improve infrastructure for community education,
health services, sanitation and disaster preparedness.