Navy ships head to Manila from India with repatriates, donated face masks

Two Philippine Navy vessels are now on the way to the Philippines after completing its mission in India.

According to the Navy on Friday, BRP Davao Del Sur (LD602) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS16) departed Kochi, India on Thursday.

The Naval Task Force (NTF) 82, led by Colonel Noel Beleran, is bringing home 18 Filipino tourist-repatriates as well as 200,000 pieces of donated face masks, the Navy said, noting that they are expected to arrive by the end of May.

According to the Navy, it made sure that its medical team, equipped with protective gears, carefully executed the boarding process of the repatriates, which began with the disinfection of their belongings, thermal scanning, and taking of vital signs.

"They were pre-determined to be coronavirus negative but still contained in a separate portion of LD602 under constant monitoring of medical personnel," the Navy said.

The repatriation was in coordination with the defense and armed forces attaché and representatives from the Philippine Embassy in India, the Navy said. —Anna Felicia Bajo/LBG, GMA News