16/07/2026
Building Strong Foundations, Enabling Mission Success: Combat Engineering Brigade Celebrates 59 Years of Engineering Excellence
Some missions begin long before ships sail, aircraft take flight, or troops are deployed. They begin with strong foundations built by the hands of Seabees whose work often goes unseen, yet whose contributions make every Philippine Navy mission possible.
Guided by this enduring purpose, the Combat Engineering Brigade (CEBde) proudly celebrated its 59th Founding Anniversary on 14 July 2026 under the theme, "CEBde @59: Forging Resilient Seabees, Building Strong Foundations, Enabling Mission Success." The milestone commemorated nearly six decades of engineering excellence, unwavering dedication, and steadfast commitment to strengthening the Philippine Navy's operational readiness and supporting national development.
The celebration was graced by the Flag Officer in Command, Philippine Navy, Vice Admiral Jose Ma. Ambrosio Q. Ezpeleta PN, as the Guest of Honor and Speaker, whose presence underscored the strategic role of the Combat Engineering Brigade in advancing the Philippine Navy's modernization efforts. Also in attendance were Headquarters Philippine Navy Coordinating Staff, partner stakeholders, distinguished guests, and former Brigade Commanders whose leadership helped shape the Brigade's enduring legacy, namely RADM Pastor R. Ramos Jr. PN(Ret), RADM Margarito V. Sanchez Jr. PN(Ret), Commodore Francisco O. Gabudao Jr. PN(Ret), Commodore Rafael V. Dacanay PN (Ret), Commodore Alfonsin P. Tumanda Jr. PN (Ret), and Commodore Rolando F. Sarmiento PN(Ret).
In his keynote address, Vice Admiral Ezpeleta paid tribute to the men and women of the Combat Engineering Brigade for fifty-nine years of dedicated service, emphasizing that the Brigade has consistently embodied the Seabees' enduring "Can Do" Spirit by delivering engineering solutions that enable operations, enhance operational readiness, and ensure mission accomplishment even under the most challenging conditions. He highlighted that while the Brigade's sacrifices often remain behind the scenes, its engineering projects continue to build the foundations of a stronger, more capable, and mission-ready Philippine Navy.
The Flag Officer in Command further described the Combat Engineering Brigade as one of the Philippine Navy's most vital force enablers as it continues its transformation into a modern, multi-domain, self-reliant naval force and a credible regional partner. He likewise commended the Brigade's remarkable accomplishments, particularly the successful dredging operations at Headquarters Philippine Navy, which restored critical navigational waterways and enabled newly acquired naval vessels to safely berth and participate in the Philippine Navy's 128th Anniversary celebration. He stressed that every engineering project undertaken by the Brigade is more than the construction of facilities and infrastructure it is an investment in strengthening the Navy's capability to accomplish its mission of protecting the nation's sovereignty and serving the Filipino people.
Welcoming the distinguished guests, Commander, Combat Engineering Brigade, Commodore Jeff Rene S. Nadugo PN, proudly presented the Brigade's accomplishments over the past year and reaffirmed the unit's commitment to engineering excellence, operational readiness, and nation-building. He emphasized that every capability entrusted to the Brigade represents more than an operational asset it reflects the Philippine Navy's trust and confidence in its Seabees to deliver results that directly support fleet operations, maritime security, territorial defense, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
Commodore Nadugo highlighted the Brigade's major engineering accomplishments, including the successful dredging and desilting of Commodore Divino Pier, restoration of critical navigational waterways, development of vital naval infrastructure, construction of personnel facilities in strategically significant locations, expansion of underwater engineering services, and the continued delivery of engineering support across the Brigade's areas of responsibility. Beyond infrastructure development, he emphasized that the Brigade remains equally committed to disaster response, community rehabilitation, and humanitarian missions, demonstrating that engineering capability is ultimately a capability to restore hope, rebuild communities, and save lives.
Recognizing that people remain the Brigade's greatest strength, Commodore Nadugo underscored the continuous investment in education, technical specialization, leadership development, and capability enhancement to prepare future generations of Seabees for increasingly complex engineering missions. He likewise expressed his profound gratitude to the Flag Officer in Command for his visionary leadership, unwavering trust, and steadfast support in strengthening the Brigade's engineering capability through the acquisition of modern and high-technology equipment. He affirmed that every capability entrusted to the Brigade will continue to be transformed into operational readiness, engineering excellence, disaster response capability, and mission success.
One of the highlights of the celebration was the Blessing of the Combat Engineering Brigade Obstacle Course, symbolizing the Brigade's continuing commitment to developing resilient and mission-ready Seabees. This was followed by a dynamic capability demonstration showcasing the Brigade's diverse engineering expertise, including the Heavy Mechanized Bridge System, Combat Engineering operations, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) readiness, Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue Operations, and the specialized capabilities of the Underwater Construction Technician Team, featuring underwater welding, underwater timber cutting, and jackhammer operations. The demonstration culminated with the Brigade Planning and Design Center's VTOL Drone Capability Demonstration, highlighting the Brigade's continued integration of advanced technologies into modern engineering operations.
As the Brigade celebrated another milestone, the occasion became not only a tribute to its remarkable achievements but also a heartfelt recognition of the generations of Seabees, former Kingbees, retired personnel, civilian human resources, partners, stakeholders, and families whose unwavering support and shared commitment continue to shape the Brigade's legacy of excellence.
For fifty-nine years, the Combat Engineering Brigade has built far more than roads, ports, bridges, and infrastructure. It has built capability. It has strengthened operational readiness. It has enabled missions. As it enters its sixth decade, the Brigade remains steadfast in carrying forward the Seabees' enduring "Can Do" Spirit forging resilient Seabees, building strong foundations, enabling mission success, and helping shape a stronger, more capable, and mission-ready Philippine Navy in faithful service to God, country, and the Filipino people.
SEABEES CAN DO!