Bicol mission returns to Leyte to rebuild schools

NAGA CITY, Philippines—Army engineers from the Bicol region left on Wednesday morning for the second phase of rebuilding schools in typhoon-stricken Tacloban City and other areas in Leyte province.

Capt. Mardjorie Panesa, spokesperson of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division (ID) based in Pili town, Camarines Sur province, said a second batch of Army engineers from the 9th Infantry Division under the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response teams joined the group.

Second phase

She said the mission was part of the second phase of the humanitarian assistance program in Tacloban, which started its work on Dec. 28 last year and had received support from local governments in Camarines Sur, the academe, the religious sector, business establishments, media and private individuals in Bicol.

Panesa said the second batch of 25 soldiers under the engineering battalion would undertake repair work at Rizal Central Elementary School in Tacloban City.

Vegetable seeds

She said the soldiers also brought seedlings for vegetable production in the schoolyard that could also benefit neighboring communities.

The towns of Tigaon and Sagñay in Camarines Sur contributed P500,000 worth of construction materials for the school’s rebuilding.

Other partners of the Army, such as Iriga City and GCI Construction and Development Corp., gave construction materials and tools for the use of the engineering battalions.

Lagonoy Mayor Delfin R. Pilapil Jr. gave 200 sacks of rice, canned goods and cleaning materials for the typhoon victims.

Panesa said the second batch of soldiers would remain in Leyte for 30 days, or until all school buildings have been rebuilt.

She said the first batch of 9th ID personnel who went to Tacloban had completed the rehabilitation of Don Vicente Quinteros Memorial School, a public school with around 650 pupils in Barangay (village) Apitong in the city.

“They were able to repair nine classroom buildings, the principal’s office and the school stage. The team also converted a comfort room into an additional classroom,” she added.