FILIPINO SAILORS ADVANCE AS “SHELLBACKS” AT SEA

The Philippine Navy has 105 less “Pollywogs,” a term for sailors who have never crossed on a sea voyage the Equator, an imaginary line which divides the earth into the northern and southern hemispheres.

 

Aboard BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the 105 navymen earned the title “Shellback” in hurdling the “Crossing the Equator” rites on their way to join KAKADU 2014, an international war games in Australia.

“Tradition has it that all sailors crossing the equator for the first time should be prepared to appear before ‘King Neptune,’ a Roman sea god who, according to legend, boards the ship as it crosses the equator line to test the seaworthiness of sailors,” said Ensign John Windy G. Abing, PN Navy public affairs officer for Exercise KAKADU 2014.

 

Capt. Ernesto Baldovino, commanding officer, BRP Ramon Acaraz, played out the role of King Neptune with long-time shellback Capt. Albert Mogol, PH Navy Director of Exercise KAKADU 2014, facilitating the ceremonies that tested  the pollywogs’ mettle as seafarers.

The activity provided the Filipino sailors a respite midway through their 7-day journey to Northern Australia for KAKADU 2014.

Earlier, BRP Ramon Alcaraz engaged the Japanese warship JS Hatakaze (DDG-171) in a meeting procedure as a passing exercise (PASSEX) off Indonesian waters.

BRP Ramon Alcaraz left its homeport Subic Bay on Sunday morning for the Aug. 25 – September 12, 2014 biennial war games hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Aside from Australia and the Philippines, navy ships and aircrafts from Japan, New Zealand and Pakistan navies will be participating while observers from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vanuatu, South Korea and India will be present.

 

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