84th Engineer Battalion breaks ground on warehouse construction project during exercise Balikatan 24

BATANES, Philippines – U.S. Army Soldiers, Philippine Army soldiers, and local government officials broke ground in Itbayat, Batanes, during a ceremony May 6, 2024, signifying the start of construction of a large warehouse during Exercise Balikatan 2024.

“We are fortunate, lucky indeed, to be living on a peaceful island,” said Sabas De Sagon, the mayor of the municipality of Itbayat. “It, however, is famous as a land of strong winds that is prone to extreme weather events. So, it is fitting that one of the first functions of Balikatan 2024 military exercise is to build a warehouse to store needed supplies for humanitarian response.”

Itbayat is one of the most remote islands in the Batanes region. Steep cliffs line the island's waters. The warehouse will store humanitarian aid supplies for the local population, bolstering their response to natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons.

The Soldiers, who are assigned to the 84th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, and Philippine Army soldiers assigned to the 513th Engineer Construction Battalion, 51st Engineer Brigade will work together to construct a 10-meter by 8-meter concrete logistical structure. The U.S. will then turn over the warehouse to the Itbayat government once completed.

“Today we are standing on ground that serves to increase the resilience of Itbayat,” said Maj. Nicholas Yager, the 84th Engineer Battalion executive officer. “The warehouse that will be built here by Philippine and U.S. Soldiers working together is solely for the municipality of Itbayat and will increase the island’s ability to take care of the families that reside here.”

While this traditional ceremony signifies the official beginning of the project, the U.S.-Philippines partnership has been ongoing for the past 72 years.

Exercise Balikatan directly supports the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty by ensuring our forces are tactically proficient, capabilities and modernization efforts are mutually compatible, and military-to-military coordination is strengthened.

“Balikatan” is a Tagalog term that means “shoulder-to-shoulder,” which characterizes the spirit of the exercise and represents the Alliance between the Philippines and the United States.