By Priam Nepomuceno/PNA
MANILA — In line with its ongoing modernization efforts, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday received 248 engineering equipment from the Department of National Defense (DND).
During the turn-over ceremonies at the Lapu-Lapu Grandstand in Camp Aguinaldo, Col. Noel Detoyato, AFP public affairs office chief, said the engineering equipment will be used to support the rehabilitation of Marawi City and nearby areas.
Some of the equipment, which consists of telescopic cranes, tracked dozers, road graders, scoop loaders, backhoe loaders, road rollers, transit mixers, dump trucks, and water lorries, were displayed in front of the grandstand before distribution to Army, Navy and Air Force.
The equipment, which have a contract price of PHP1.56 billion, were blessed by the AFP Chaplain Service before they were handed over to the recipients.
The supply and delivery of the engineering equipment is under Horizon 2 of the AFP Modernization Program, which was completed on Feb. 12, 2019.
The first batch, containing 114 units of equipment, were delivered at Camp Pintoy, Iligan City while the second batch containing 134 units were delivered in Camp Aguinaldo, in Quezon City; Villamor Air Base, Pasay City and Bonifacio Naval Station, Taguig City.
DND Undersecretary Cardozo Luna, who served as the guest-of-honor and speaker, represented Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
The event was also attended by AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. and the military’s deputy chief-of-staff for logistics, Maj. Gen. Pio Q. Diñoso III.
“On behalf of the Secretary of National Defense, I am pleased to welcome you all to the symbolic turn-over ceremony of the 248 units of AFP engineering equipment acquired from Polytechnologies of the People’s Republic of China intended for the rehabilitation of Marawi City and nearby affected areas,” he added.
Luna said the various engineering equipment shall be used for humanitarian aid/disaster relief operations and other development programs of the national government.
