Thanks to the efforts of soldiers from the Guam National Guard’s 1224th Engineer Support Company (1224ESC), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and active-duty members of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force, students at Kinawitan Elementary School in Bicol, Legazpi City, Philippines, will be able to attend classes indoors. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the school earlier this month to officially open and showcase the completed classrooms. Contributed photo
 
Students from the Kinawitan Elementary School in Bicol, Legazpi City, Philippines, will soon be able to attend classes indoors thanks to efforts by soldiers from the Guam National Guard’s 1224th Engineer Support Company (1224ESC), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and active-duty members of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force.

The school project was geared primarily to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Command with subject matter expert exchanges through the Engineer Civic Action Project (ENCAP) outreach in Bicol, Legazpi City, Philippines, from June to July of this year.
 
The mission, under the National Guard’s State Partnership Program (SPP), also helps strengthen relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States. The Philippines is the state partner to the Guam and Hawaii National Guards.
 
Students lacked resources
 
Two teams of soldiers from the Guam Guard’s 1224ESC partnered to work on the project through completion.
 
“Three classrooms at Kinawitan Elementary School were renovated or rebuilt from the ground up; a bathroom installment was constructed and a water tower was put up for the students and staff who lack those vital resources,” said 1st Lt. Rachel Santos, officer-in-charge, 1224ESC Team 2.
 
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the school earlier this month to officially open and showcase the completed classrooms.
 
Information was provided in a press release.