BY MARTIN SADONGDONG
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PHILIPPINE Navy ships BRP Davao del Sur (LD602) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS16) are finally back in the country after its mission in the Middle East last January and a series of unfortunate events.
The sailors and marines composing the Naval Task Force 82 aboard the two ships entered Manila Bay on June 12 where they celebrated the 122nd anniversary of Philippine independence.
Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas, acting director of the naval public affairs office, said the two ships sailed in formation with onboard personnel to create a human formation of figure “122.”
The photo exercise was captured from the embarked Agusta Westland 109 naval helicopter which also conducted flight deck operations or its take-off and landing on BRP Davao del Sur’s surface while the ship was in motion.
Marine Col. Noel Beleran, commander of NTF 82, read the Independence Day message for the troops in behalf of Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The NTF 82 is expected to be accorded a formal arrival honor at Pier 15 in Manila next week.
The crew will undergo swab testing while local health authorities have yet to determine if they will need to undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine period, Roxas said.
Meanwhile, 30 Filipino repatriates from India and Sri Lanka have finished the required quarantine period. None of them exhibited symptoms for the coronavirus disease-2019.
The Navy also provided the repatriates with interventions, counseling, and physical activities to uplift their morale and well-being during the voyage, Roxas said.
The two ships were deployed to Oman last January to fetch affected overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East amid a heightened tension between Iran and United States following the killing of a top Iranian general.
When the tension eased, the vessels left Oman on April 21 and made a stop in India to pick up 18 stranded Filipinos and medical supplies donated by the Indian government for the Philippines’ COVID-19 response.
