U.S. Navy, AFP engineers build classrooms in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Classrooms that are resistant to earthquakes and typhoons are now being constructed in Cebu by the engineers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command and a U.S. Navy Construction Civic Action Detail Philippines (CCAD-P or SEABEES).

According to a statement sent by U.S. Embassy Manila-Information Office, the construction of these classrooms will benefit more than 1,300 school children, and 150 civilians in Cebu.

The U.S. Pacific Command has invested more than P14 million for the construction of a five-classroom building for the Poog Elementary School in Toledo City and a three-classroom building and comfort room at the Aloguinsan Central Elementary School in Aloguinsan.

Aside from the eight classrooms, part of the amount will also be used for the repair of the living, cooking, laundry and educational facilities of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 rehabilitation center in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City.

The new classrooms are being built according to typhoon- and earthquake-resistant designs required by the Department of Education.

“These projects support the local economy though the purchase of building materials, lodging and food from local businesses,” the statement read.

CCAD Philippines is a unit of 28 U.S. Navy Seabees and sailors who have teamed up with the AFP to complete humanitarian assistance construction in hard-to-access and disaster-affected areas in the Philippines.

It was the Philippine government that invited CCAD Philippines here 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 as well as an improved infrastructure for community education, health services, sanitation and disaster preparedness, the statement added. (FREEMAN)