US-PHL Balikatan 2014 projects in Albay to be finished ahead of schedule

From the Philippine News Agency (May 7): US-PHL Balikatan 2014 projects in Albay to be finished ahead of schedule

The US-PHL Balikatan 2014 Humanitarian mission has finished 60 percent of the engineering civic assistance (ENCAP) projects in just three weeks since the civil works started on April 21.

United States Marine Maj. Jason Johnson, deputy commander of the Balikatan 2014 (B14) Joint Civil Military Operation Task Force (JCMOTF), said a B14 assessment tour of the RP-US JCMOTF and the media on Tuesday indicated that the ongoing engineering works in villages in this city and in the town of Guinobatan would be finished ahead of the May 16 completion date.

In an interview, Johnson said he is hopeful that the repair and construction works of 8 school classrooms, public comfort rooms, barangay health center, water catchment system and concrete sidewalks will be finished and these will be turned over to local officials days before the deadline.

Under the 26-day Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HAC) engineering civic assistance, projects involved are the construction of classrooms in the Malobago Elementary School and the Doña Mercedes Elementary School, and the construction of a 6m x 9m barangay health center -- all in Barangay Malobago in Guinobatan town.

Barangays Doña Mercedes and Malobago are remote upland villages located some 10 kilometers from the town proper or 30 kilometers from this city.

At the assessment tour, the RP-US JCMOTF and the media discovered that the status of the construction of the two classroom units at the Malobago Elementary School was only 20-percent finished which, according to the military engineers, is behind schedule due to the delayed delivery of steel beams and prefabricated walls by a locally-based supplier sub-contracted by a Manila-based contractor.

US Army Captain Ed Ellingson allayed fear of a project delay and said they expect the materials to be delivered on Wednesday, adding that “as soon as the materials and supply are in, we have enough manpower to carry out the project in time.”

Aside from the construction and repair, the engineering works include the construction of a water catchment system with pump and a 5,000-gallon storage capacity and concreting of additional 15-meter sidewalk connecting the school buildings to the water catchment system and comfort rooms in Barangay Malobago Elementary School in Guinobatan.

Guinobatan town Mayor Ann Gemma Ongjuco led local officials in welcoming the B14 assessment tour, saying the town was blessed after it was chosen by the JCMOTF to be among the beneficiaries of the RP-US humanitarian mission.

In this city, the assessment team said 70 percent has been accomplished for the construction of a 3m x 4m masonry public comfort room and installation of a water storage tank at Barangay Pawa, and the repair of the Tamaoyan Elementary School here.

In a related development, JCMOTF on Monday turned over to City Vice Mayor Vitorio Roces US,673 worth of medical equipment for the villages of Pawa and Tamaoyan, a village at the foot of Mount Mayon and some six kilometers from this city.

At least 190 soldiers of the US Marine Corps (USMC) and Australian military personnel composed of engineering personnel and medical group started on April 16 a three-week humanitarian exercise in selected villages in Guinobatan town and in this city.

As for the cooperative healthcare engagement, the US medical team conducted on Tuesday a health symposium with barangay health workers of Guinobatan and this city who will later hold medical and dental services in clustered villages of Barangay Malobago, Guinobatan, and Barangay Rawis in this city.

Ellingson said the barangay health workers were given updated lectures on the detection and prevention aspects of respiratory, cardiovascular, dengue, leptospirosis, malaria and diarrheal illnesses.

US Marine Col. Curtis Lee earlier said this is the biggest USMC contingent to undertake a 26-day humanitarian mission in the province.

"What is unique about this mission is that the 190 USMC soldiers arrived here from Manila by local commercial planes," Lee said.

Earlier, at a press conference at the kick off ceremony, Lee said a joint US-RP military exercise is possible to take place in Bicol, depending on how the negotiation would go between the US and the Philippines.

Bicol region can boast that it has been bestowed with natural terrain (sea, land and mountains) very ideal for such military exercise similar to the military exercise conducted in Subic, Zambales.

Albay Gov.Joey Salceda, for his part, said the negotiation would pass through a diplomatic process similar to that of the military engagement exercise held in Subic.

Salceda said though the military exercise is a significant activity that would build stronger bilateral relationship between the US and the Philippines, “I would like to focus more on the humanitarian aspect of the event since it confronts the challenges on the risk of hazards brought by climate change.”

He said Albay province has significantly benefited from the six US humanitarian missions, six of which were Balikatan humanitarian exercises.

Salceda said a similar number of personnel from the Navforsol, Army and Provincial Health Office was dispatch as the PHL counterpart to the humanitarian mission.

The humanitarian mission in Albay, specifically in this city, was considered after the province was known in pursuing an effective disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation initiative.

The Balikatan 2014 humanitarian exercise is the third Balikatan mission to be held in Albay, citing that similar humanitarian missions were held by the US Pacific Angel in 2010, USS Peleliu in 2007 and PHL-US Balikatan in 2009.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=641269