MANILA, Philippines?On the USS George Washington, men in Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses and women in cool tops and sandals are waiting patiently for their turn to board the ferry that will take them to shore.

Looking more like an airport than a nuclear warship, the USS George Washington anchored off Manila Bay yesterday so its 5,000-strong crew could enjoy a much-deserved four-day holiday.

Sunny weather welcomed American soldiers, who were anxious to walk on land and fulfill their mission?to have fun.

?First thing I?ll do is go to Jollibee!? said 20-year-old airman apprentice Miguel Pua, a Laguna-born sailor who left the Philippines when he was 6.

He is among the sailors of Filipino descent who make up a third of the supercarrier?s crew.

?Then I?ll eat Filipino food like adobo, sinigang and balatong (mongo bean soup)?my favorite Filipino food that my lola (grandmother) used to cook,? added Pua, a Hawaiian resident who joined the Navy four months ago.

Shop, eat, enjoy

Escorted to Philippine shores by the Philippine Navy, the 100,000-ton supercarrier arrived from Singapore at daybreak yesterday with its fleet of three other ships: The cruiser USS Cowpens and destroyers USS John McCain and USS Campbell.

Ferry boats transported sailors by the hundreds from the USS George Washington to the fleet?s landing site at SM Mall of Asia?s bayside park where an enclosed area served as a transit station complete with foreign exchange booth, tourist information desk, transportation (hotel cabs, tourist buses) and guides.

?They are ready to shop, shop, shop and eat, eat, eat. They enjoyed themselves last year and I think some of the shop owners are looking forward to seeing them again,? said Capt. David Lausman, the carrier?s commanding officer.

Buddy system

Farthest from their minds were security concerns after the hostage-taking tragedy which left eight Hong Kong nationals dead in Manila?s tourist district two weeks ago.

Hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza, a dismissed police officer seeking reinstatement, was also killed in a police assault widely criticized as faulty in planning, coordination and execution.

?I think it?s an isolated incident. As a visiting US Navy ship, we?re still going to have our R and R (rest and recreation). Of course, we?re concerned about our security, but we?ve been trained,? said chief petty officer Romer Patawaran, a Pampanga native who joined the US Navy in 1993.

?We have a buddy system and we don?t just go out by ourselves,? said 34-year-old Patawaran, who plans to visit his parents in Angeles City.

During their four-day furlough, US servicemen will be allowed to go sightseeing but only within certain tour areas in Manila, unless given prior approval or granted leaves.

Sailors were also strongly advised against taking public buses, jeepneys and city trains?all tagged as ?off limits? in their liberty guidelines.

?We?re always concerned about security?just like any world traveler. It?s a different time [compared to] several years ago. But we travel together, we work together and we enjoy the culture. [The men and women] are looking forward to [their holiday],? Commander Lausman said.

Deployed in Japan to fortify US defense capabilities in the Western Pacific, the USS George Washington recently held port visits in Vietnam and Singapore. The carrier had a brief stop in Manila last year.

?We all think of ourselves as ambassadors and citizens of the world. Every place we go, we look forward to enjoying the culture of what each country has to offer,? Lausman said.

Besides city tours, some of the sailors would also visit historic Corregidor, a landmark of US-backed Philippine resistance against the Japanese during World War II, he added.

Community service

During their liberty port call, some 600 US sailors are set to hold community service projects around Metro Manila, among them a reading session at a children?s home in Malate, mural painting with cleft-lip and cleft-palate patients at a Sta. Mesa clinic, and a school visit in Pasay City.

Sailors will also help clean up Estero de Quiapo and lend a hand in a day-care center built with Habitat for Humanity in Caloocan City.

The US Navy will also hold joint workshops with the Philippine Navy during their stay.

?We are cherishing the time here to work with [the Philippine Navy] ... We continually work together, we learn from each other,? Lausman said.