by Fayette C. Riñen
A dream come true!” said 58-year-old school principal Rena Managaytay.
She could not contain her joy as she watched more than 10 US Navy personnel preparing the foundation for a new school building in the center of Aloguinsan town, 59 kilometers southwest of Cebu City.
In humid heat and sudden downpours, the Seabees or members of the construction battalion of the US Navy, work ten hours a day to beat a deadline to finish the school before their tour of duty ends in February.
The present schoolhouse built in the 1930s has never been renovated, except for a few repairs and repainting here and there.
“Due to its age, the school buildings are dilapidated. This makes us very concerned about the safety of the students especially during typhoons,” said Managaytay.
The building, over 50 years old, has 22 classrooms that serve 1,097 elementary students.
Each classroom accommodates over 40 students. The three additional classrooms being built by the Seabees will help ease some overcrowded classes.
Managaytay eagerly visits the work site daily.
“In gratitude, all we could offer them is our Filipino hospitality with a taste of Cebuano snacks like pan de sal, banana cue, bibingka and ice candy,” she said.
The Navymen welcome the snack but remain conscious of the time.
“What keeps us motivated is when teachers, students and parents and even the local community repeatedly tell us ‘Thank you for building our school!’ which is the usual greeting we receive,” said Lt. Michael Sapienza, officer-in-charge of the US Navy Construction Civic Action Detail (CCAD) Philippines.
He said their team wants to be the one to hand over the finished school building to the community.
“We are only here for six months and our time ends by February,” said Sapienza. Then another batch of Seabees will take their place.
Almost an hour’s drive away in Toledo City another Seabees team of over 10 US Navy personnel are preparing to construct a five-classroom school building in Poog Elementary School.
They first had to demolish a termite-infested, crumbling school building built in 1958. Almost 500 students had to transfer to makeshift classrooms or enter already crowded classes.
“We have no choice but to cope with overpopulated classrooms. We don’t want affected students to stop going to school just because their old classrooms have been demolished,”’ said Grade 5 teacher Aristina Repompo.
The new Toledo school building will be completed in April, ready for the opening of classes in June 2015. Another Seabees team will finish the project.
Grade 4 student Roxanne Homocillo is among the grateful pupils.
“Nalipay kaayo mi nga naa sila og motukod og bag-ong classrooms kay guba-on na jud to (We are very happy they are here to build new classrooms because the old classrooms are already dilapidated),”said Roxanne.
The frequent chants of “Thank you! Thank you!,” by smiling children in the 1,700 student population warm the hearts of Seabees, some of whom are reminded of their children back home especially since its the Yuletide Season.
When time permits, the Navy crew play soccer with the children and attend some school activities upon invitation by the school heads.
“I really appreciate the kindness the Cebuanos have shown us and we deeply value that,” said Sapienza.
Sapienza said he developed a taste for Cebuano food and eats “balut” daily.
“The best bibingka in the world is in Balamban,” he said, adding that he eats anything with “buko” or coconut in it.
The Poog school project is worth US $182,000 while the Aloguinsan structure costs US $115,000.
“We are closely coordinating with the Department of Education for the design and specifications of the school buildings that must be disaster-resilient,” said Sapienza.
The US Navy is also doing minor renovations of the Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center II of the Department of Social Welfare and Development 7 and its other facilities in Labangon, Cebu City.
Three of the 25 Seabees are Filipinos, two women and a male.
Adelaida “Dada” Dacanay leads the team of equipment operators responsible for flattening the work site.
“I feel blessed to be back home after 13 years. I am especially grateful for the opportunity to improve the education of new generations using the skills I learned from the US Navy” said Dacanay.
Aliciapia de Guzman is the team’s only surveyor while engineering aide construction and chief corpsman John Vasquez is the medic and leading chief petty officer.
Vasquez said he was “’very happy and honored to be part of this experience.”’
“I was once on the receiving side of humanitarian aid while growing up in Manila, so I know what the community is feeling. It feels good to be able to give back to my kababayan.”
Military personnel of the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines also help in the construction and provide security for the Seabees.
Projects of the CCAD Philippines are jointly selected by the US Embassy through the Joint US Military Advisory Group Philippines and US Navy ‘s 30th Naval Construction Regiment, in coordination with the AFP Unified Command and local government units.
Cebu is this year’s recipient . A two-classroom school house in Tal-ut Elementary School in Carcar City was completed last August.
Palawan was the first recipient of CCAD projects, mostly classroom construction, started in 2012. Cebu is the second provincial beneficiary.
When it’s time for them to leave, Sapienza said he and the team will cherish memories of friendships gained with teachers, students, barangay officials, Filipino soldiers and other ordinary folks they encountered.
“What I learned about Filipinos is that they value education so much and they genuinely appreciate what we do unlike in some areas I’ve been assigned,” he said.
Being homesick on Christmas, Sapienza said is offset by the happy and grateful faces of children and teachers, and knowing that the mission of the Seabees will go a long way to help local communities.