Camp Lapulapu, Cebu City – Members of the 18th Civil Engineer Group of the US Air Force and the 552nd Engineer Construction Battalion of the Phil. Army work shoulder to shoulder, as the Multi-purpose Hall project in Antique is on track to its completion by the end of the month.
The project is now 35% complete and the engineering works are now focused on the pouring of concrete for the roof beams and the installation of columns and scaffolding.
Lieutenant General Benedict M Arevalo PA, the Commander of Visayas Command (VISCOM) expressed his optimism about the project, saying that “Once this project is complete, it will be of good use to the community, especially to Inabasan Elementary School for their programs and activities.”
The construction of the 80 sqm Multi-purpose Hall project began immediately after its groundbreaking on March 27 this year. With a work duration of 1 month, the project is scheduled to be turned over to the community by April 27.
“This project manifests the strong alliance between the US Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Philippines not only on confidence building and capability enhancement but also on securing and ensuring the well-being of the people,” added Lt Gen Arevalo.
The Multi-purpose Hall project in Antique is one of the three (3) community development projects that are currently being undertaken under the Engineer Civic Action Program (ENCAP) of the Balikatan Exercise 38-2023. The other two (2) projects are Health Centers in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, and Baler, Aurora.
This year’s iteration of the Balikatan Exercise is the largest by far with over 17,000 soldiers involved: 12, 200 from the US, 5,400 from the Philippines, and 100 from the Australian Defense Force./// (Story and photos by Visayas Command, AFP)
