ILOILO CITY, Philippines -- The USS Ronald Reagan, whose air assets have been helping in the typhoon-ravaged Western Visayas, is not carrying nuclear weapons, US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney said Sunday.

"As a matter of policy, our ships don't deploy nuclear weapons," Kenney told reporters here, before she toured Military Chief General Alexander Yano on the aircraft carrier, located 15 to 17 nautical miles south southwest of this city, outside Philippine territorial waters.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had ordered officials to keep the USS Ronald Reagan outside Philippine territory amid criticism that its stay in the country violated the Constitution.

Dodging the criticism, Kenney said: "What I would say is we're very proud to be here helping. It's part of the partnership."

Kenney said the "plan was not for it [ship] to be in Philippine waters." She added that with its size, the USS Ronald Reagan would need to be in deep waters, and would be used merely as launching pads for Seahawk helicopters to transport relief supplies.

US President George W. Bush dispatched the aircraft carrier to the country last week, during a meeting with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Washington D.C.

Eight Seahawks have been flying in and out of the Iloilo international airport. On Sunday, it ferried relief goods brought in by Yano and his party via a C-130 cargo plane.

"We've gotten about 90,000 pounds [of supplies]... When the Armed Forces of the Philippines says, here is where something needs to go, we say, right, yes sir," the envoy said.

Massive floods in the Western Visayas, triggered by typhoon "Frank" (international codename: Fengshen) have caused over 500 fatalities and has left close to 300 missing.

The storm also caused a passenger ship carrying 862 passengers and crew, the M/V Princess of the Stars, to capsize off the central island province of Romblon during its onslaught last Saturday.

Kenney said relief supplies from the USAID would be flown in here on Sunday evening.