Posted to Kalinaw News (Mar 8, 2022): ENCAP under BALIKATAN 37-2022 kicks off
CAMP MELCHOR F DELA CRUZ, Upi, Gamu, Isabela- The Philippine and US armed forces kicked off the 37th BALIKATAN Exercises 2022 through the simultaneous groundbreaking ceremony of four school buildings in different locations in Cagayan and Isabela under the Engineering Civic Action Program (ENCAP) on March 07, 2022.
Four school buildings will be built in Taggat Sur and Pinas Elementary Schools both in Claveria, Cagayan, Masi Elementary School in Rizal, Cagayan, and San Francisco Elementary School in Alicia, Isabela with $100,000 budget each from the US government for the construction of their school building. The completion of the said infrastructure that has a size of 18×17 square meters is expected within 40 working days.
Lt Austin Koch, USAF, US Site OIC in Masi Rizal, said that the ENCAP will serve as a teaching tool both for the US and Philippine armed forces with regards to how both parties do their construction of infrastructures. “We will be providing materials and other heavy equipment for the duration of construction of the classrooms. And we are very willing to teach Filipino forces on using these advanced technologies as they will be teaching us how to build buildings in their own way. We will work side by side. We will be understanding the ways of each other. As of now I am pretty excited to learn the innovative process from Filipino counterparts.”
On the other hand, Dr. Erna Angeles, the DEPED District Supervisor in Rizal, Cagayan lauded and commended the ENCAP as part of the BALIKATAN Exercises. “We are thankful that you have chosen Masi Elementary School as one of your beneficiaries. This school serves learners from kindergarten to grade six with just four classrooms. To cater all our learners, we need to divide the existing classrooms into two to accommodate the students. But with the construction of additional school building, our learners will really get the quality education they must have and deserved.
Further, MGen Laurence E Mina, Commander of 5th Infantry Division said that joint exercises like BALIKATAN demonstrate the commitment to peace, stability, and adaptability of the US and the Philippine armed forces. “Since the launching of BALIKATAIN in the year 1991, it has been a give and take learning opportunity for both Filipino and American soldiers and sometimes with our other allies in the Indo-Pacific region. This is a bilateral relationship that is founded on our shared history of promoting peace, security, and cooperation among nations. For this year, with the kick-off of BALIKATAN in Cagayan and Isabela provinces, we will again reinvigorate the strong friendship, partnership, and alliances.”
Meanwhile, the residents showed their appreciation to the US forces by giving them warm welcome despite the language and cultural differences.
[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]
https://www.kalinawnews.com/encap-under-balikatan-37-2022-kicks-off/
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