MANILA, Philippines?From afar, the gray hunk of steel riding the waters of Manila Bay looked cold and ominous.

But the USS George Washington, considered the world?s largest warship of its class, is home to roughly 300 Filipinos who help more than 5,000 American sailors operate the mighty aircraft carrier.

Entering Philippine waters for the first time on Tuesday, the George Washington is on a four-day goodwill visit to Manila. The crew is taking part in various humanitarian projects such as tree-planting activities, repainting and building of public school libraries and hospital visits, among others.

A read-along session at the Philippine Daily Inquirer office in Makati City on Friday will also have a George Washington crew member as a storyteller.

It was the first US aircraft carrier to make a port visit in Manila in 13 years, according to Lt. Cmdr. Bill Urban, the warship?s spokesperson.

Surface and air warfare specialist Jonizel Sioson, who was promoted four days ago to storekeeper chief, was among the Filipino-American crew members who were simply happy to be back on their native soil and be of some service to fellow Filipinos.

Tasked with managing the ship?s supplies, particularly aircraft spare parts, Sioson said he might still find himself busy onboard the ship during much of its stay in Manila.

?But I would find time to go out and eat at the Mall of Asia (MOA),? Sioson told the Inquirer with a chuckle as he assisted a group of reporters who were given a three-hour tour of the mammoth vessel.

Wednesday?s guests were ferried to the ship by water taxis that picked up passengers from a platform at the MOA area. The trip to the ship took about 30 minutes.

City at sea

Serving as tour guide, Urban walked visitors through the ship?s long corridors, the bridge, the hangar bay and the sprawling flight deck. From there, other ships and watercraft dotting Manila Bay?s vaporous surface looked puny.

Touted as ?a city at sea,? the ship has its own television station, aircraft repair hubs, facilities for laundry, medical and dental services, gyms and a barber shop.

Sioson said Filipinos like him who joined the US Navy hardly encountered problems when they started working in the ship. ?You know how we are Filipinos, we can always easily adapt to a different culture,? he said.

?But we don?t forget our heritage,? Sioson added.

During their spare time, usually on Fridays, he and fellow Filipinos gather for karaoke nights at the mess deck just like regular, land-based Filipino workers out on a gimmick.

?(But) we do miss rice!? he quipped. ?Here, we are usually served mashed potatoes.?

Sad news from home

Another Fil-Am crew member, Senior Chief Archie Jusayan, couldn?t help but feel nostalgic as he shared how he felt about the recent passing of former President Corazon Aquino.

The George Washington was then docked in Yokosuka, Japan, when the sad news reached Jusayan.

?She is really a big loss to our country. I asked my wife to go [to Manila Cathedral] and say our prayers,? said the sailor, who was a college student when he joined the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution that Aquino inspired.

Of the more than 5,000 sailors manning the ship, 24 percent have either blood relations or friends in the Philippines, according to Urban. At least 7 percent are Filipino-Americans.

Meanwhile, the visiting American sailors have been reminded to observe proper behavior and avoid any ?trouble? that could make them liable under the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement, VFA Commission Executive Director Edilberto Adan said Wednesday.

?There?ll be some limited liberty and it?s good for our tourism industry and for our people to see the foreigners who want to partake of the Filipino hospitality. We should welcome that,? Adan told reporters.

Strict orders

?But they?re under strict orders not to go to places where they could be in trouble, so we advised their officials to orient those sailors who are going down to make sure that they behave and respect local customs and tradition and respect Filipino hospitality,? he stressed.

Adan said foreign troops are welcome to enjoy tourist establishments as long as ?they behave, respect our laws and there are no abuses so we should not discriminate against any particular nationality just because they belong to uniformed service of a foreign country.?

US Ambassador to Manila Kristie Kenney considered the ship?s visit as ?a great opportunity to strengthen our military-to-military partnership (and) show our appreciation for the communities we serve.?

?I?m proud of our dedicated men and women on board who are so excited to visit this beautiful country,? Kenney added.

The American crew will join Philippine Navy counterparts for a series of activities, including sporting events and seminars.

They will also provide manpower for civic projects in 10 barangays (villages), tree-planting activities and improvement of school buildings and facilities for Filipino veterans.

In 2005, a high-profile criminal case involving a US Marine then on shore leave in the country had put the VFA?and RP-US relations?to test.

After a yearlong trial, a local court convicted Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith of raping a Filipino woman whom he and his three buddies met at a bar in Subic.

Amid protests from groups opposed to the VFA, Smith remained in the US Embassy?s custody while the verdict was on appeal.

In March this year, Smith walked free and was quickly whisked out of the country days after the woman issued what amounted to a retraction of the rape charges. With a report from Cynthia D. Balana