National Guard to help fix typhoon-damaged school

HONOLULU (AP) — Engineers from the Hawaii National Guard will travel to the Philippines at the end of the month to help rebuild a school damaged by Typhoon Haiyan.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie and state Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Darryll Wong announced the plan last week at the Philippine Consulate General in Nuuanu to commemorate Philippine Independence Day, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (http://bit.ly/U2LCZc ) reported.

The Guard's The 230th Engineers will join the 1224th Engineer Support Company and the 254th Red Horse Squadron of the Guam National Guard to help the Armed Forces of the Philippines rebuild Marasbaras National High School in Tacloban.

"We want to make sure these young people and the community there see something tangible so that they have hope, so that they know that they haven't been abandoned and forgotten," Abercrombie said.

Typhoon Haiyan struck the islands on Nov. 8. It killed more than 6,000 people and displaced more than 4 million others.

Damage to the high school at Tacloban is estimated at $1 million. The federal government and nonprofit organizations are paying to repair damage.

Repairs are needed for roofs, bathrooms, the electrical system, windows and doors. New flooring and light fixtures will be installed. Guardsmen plan to reinforce the building to make it more resistant to typhoon damage.

Part of the school has been refurbished, said Philippine Consul Roberto Bernardo. Students have been attending school in tents. The target date for completion is mid-September.

The project is part of long-term efforts to assist typhoon victims in the Philippines.

"We've got to put facilities in there so they can be certain that they'll have a place to go and courses to be taught and the security of knowing that they have a permanent place," Abercrombie said.

Guard engineers will survey other damaged areas in Tacloban.

___

Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Related topics