MANILA, Philippines - A US Navy hospital ship will arrive tomorrow to conduct humanitarian and disaster response programs.
The USNS Mercy will anchor off Calbayog City Port in Samar tomorrow night.
Joining the Mercy in the mission is the Japanese ship Oosumi on Monday in Calbayog. The actual mission will start on June 19.
Armed Forces spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said the Mercy will participate in the Pacific Partnership 2012, the largest joint humanitarian mission in the Pacific.
“Engineers from the AFP and the US are also conducting engineering civic assistance projects involving the construction and renovation of schools and a health center in Samar province,” he said.
Burgos said the Mercy will also ferry a team of medical and engineering personnel from partner nations and non-government organizations.
The Mercy has 1,000 beds and can serve 200 patients per day, he added.
It can provide medical services like immunizations, primary care, pediatrics, optometry, dental care, nutrition counseling, infectious disease treatment, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and dermatology, Burgos said.
In a statement, Armed Forces chief Gen. Jessie Dellosa said as a country often besieged by calamities, the Philippines has to ensure that its people, especially those in high-risk areas, are properly informed and prepared against disasters.
“We are very thankful to the USNS Mercy and the JS Oosumi for their valuable contributions to the humanitarian and civic assistance programs intended not only to provide relief and temporary solutions, but to teach the importance of preparations,” he said.
The Pacific Partnership 2012 will cover Catbalogan City, Calbayog City and the towns of Silanga, Gandara, Carayman, Veriato, Malaga, and San Isidro in Samar.