Thursday, October 31, 2019

DVIDS: NMCB 5 Seabees Begin Malatgao Elementary School Construction with Ground Breaking Ceremony

Posted to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) (Oct 17, 2019): NMCB 5 Seabees Begin Malatgao Elementary School Construction with Ground Breaking Ceremony



Courtesy Photo | 191015-N-QR336-1001 PALAWAN, Philippines (Oct. 15, 2019) Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5’s Detail Palawan and the Seabees from Armed Forces of the Philippines 2nd NMCB pose for a photograph after the Sama Sama Children's Learning Center groundbreaking ceremony at Kamuing Elementary School in Palawan, Philippines. NMCB-5 is deployed across the Indo-Pacific region conducting high-quality construction to support U.S. and partner nations to strengthen partnerships, deter aggression, and enable expeditionary logistics and naval power projection. (U.S. Navy photo by Builder 2nd Class Colt Hawkins/Released)

PHILIPPINES
10.17.2019
Courtesy Story
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5
Story by Steelworker 3rd Class Taylor Myers

NARRA, Palawan -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 began construction at Malatgao Elementary School with a ground breaking ceremony Oct. 17.

Seabees from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) 2nd NMCB, 360 students, and 40 teachers and staff attended the ceremony.

The two-room school house is being constructed in Narra, Palawan in support of the Philippines Department of Education as well as the Malatgao Elementary School. Malatgao Elementary School will be demolishing two of their classrooms, which the new construction will replace. The new construction will provide a much-needed upgraded schoolhouse for the elementary school, which is currently in deteriorated conditions.

Along with the support from the local Malatgao Elementary school and surrounding community, NMCB 5 will be supported by Seabees from the AFP 2nd NMCB providing construction support, and the Marine Battalion Landing Team 4 providing security on site.

The classroom construction will include a concrete slab with concrete columns and concrete masonry unit blocks as the walls. They will construct steel trusses and have metal roofing. The inside will have fluorescent lighting, electrical outlets, and wood doors. To finish, they will stucco and paint the outside of the building.

The ceremony consisted of multiple performances done by students ranging from kindergarten through the sixth grade.

Students and teachers spoke about the appreciation that they had for the Seabees and what they were doing for the community. 2nd Lt. Cabang, from AFP Western command, talked about the influence of the Seabees on the future of the students.

“Seabees will inspire our youth here at Malatgao Elementary School to dream big and study harder so they will be the ones to help others also to reach their dreams," said Cabang.

The ceremony closed with a time capsule being buried on the site, in the capsule was a photo of the Seabees that will construct the school house, and a list of the students that will be able to enjoy it when it is completed.

"This moment is a start in history. This moment will never be forgotten, it is part of the history of this school,” said Marcial A. Alili, Malatgao Elementary School’s principal. “We are excited to start and very much excited for what we are going to construct. This is for our kids because two of our buildings are subject to demolition. Of course, we need classrooms for our kids. On behalf of the 360 pupils and 40 teachers, we would like to welcome you to our school."

NMCB-5 is deployed across the Indo-Pacific region conducting high-quality construction to support U.S. and partner nations to strengthen partnerships, deter aggression, and enable expeditionary logistics and naval power projection. The battalion stands ready to support Humanitarian Aid/Disaster Relief and Major Combat Operations throughout the region.

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