Exercise Balilatan 2012

Armed Forces of the Philippines Navy Seabees from 3rd Naval Construction Battalion and United States Navy Seabees from Navy Mobile Construction Unit 40 shovel concrete at an engineering civic assistance project (ENCAP) construction site at Buena Vista Elementary School, Puerto Princesa, Republic of the Philippines on March 23, 2012. Philippine and U.S. military members are constructing a new building at the school during Exercise Balikatan 2012 (BK12), an annual bilateral training exercise aimed at improving Philippine and U.S. military interoperability during planning, contingency, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. This is one of five ENCAPs the island of Palawan will receive during the exercise as well as medical and veterinary civic assistance. BK12 officially begins April 16, 2012.