Engineers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will play “a big role” in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of strife-torn Zamboanga City.

“This new deployment of our AFP engineers is aimed to restore the physical devastation and damages in the ground zero of the concluded armed confrontations between the government and MNLF forces,” Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said at the 47th General Rigoberto Atienza Day at Camp Atienza in Quezon City.

He said the military engineers were facing a “formidable challenge” of rehabilitating the affected areas of the gun battle between government forces and the Moro National Liberation Front last month.

The rehabilitation would cover about 40 hectares of land, including the barangays of Sta. Catalina, Sta. Barbara, Rio Hondo, and its adjacent areas.

“We can only anticipate and look forward to the successful accomplishment of this new mission, confident as ever on the manifested professional capability and expertise of our AFP engineers. Let us wish them well in the fulfillment of this endeavor,” Gazmin said.

Military engineers assist the government in developmental projects. They are involved in noteworthy projects such as Gawad Kalinga and Brigada Eskwela. They are also active during search and rescue operations during times of disasters.

Gazmin also lauded the engineers for their involvement in the nation’s developmental projects.

“I laud the officers, men and women and civilian employees of the 51st engineer brigade, for their incessant dedicated indulgence that made possible the unending realization of our engineering projects,” he said.