The God Culture: "Solomon's Treasure" Preliminary Book Review

Timothy Jay Schwab of The God Culture has recently dropped quite a load indicating that he and they have entered the next stage of their journey. From an unknown Youtube channel to full-blown think tank in the space of three years. Tim's videos have been aimed at teaching Filipinos they are Israelites and that the Philippines is Sheba, Ophir, Tarshish, Haviliah, and the Garden of Eden. Actually the Garden of Eden is submerged in the Sulu Sea along with its only inhabitant Enoch. Does the ocean water quench the flaming sword of the Cherubim who guards it?

Filipinos have a big destiny to fill because they will literally fight the anti-christ face to face and restore the Mosaic Law around the world. The OFW program is Bible prophecy! In fact 144,000 Filipino women will be taken to heaven to give birth in the throne room of God to 144,000 babies who will come back seven years later with Jesus Christ as a heavenly choir.  If one does not understand this restoration of Bible geography which gives the Philippines the most preeminent place in all of history and prophecy then one will never, ever understand the Bible. So says The God Culture founder former puppeteer, Christian rock band member, and ordained Reverend Timothy Jay Schwab.

https://www.ophirinstitute.com

You are about to embark on the most monumental journey of all archaeological discoveries. The mother lode that would make the likes of Indiana Jones salivate. The true land of gold in all of history which leads to the location of the Garden of Eden and Land of Creation identifying the Rivers from Eden en route. Why is this important? You will never understand geography, history nor especially Bible prophecy without this restored knowledge of what many will consider the most illustrious realm on Earth. Without this, one cannot interpret archaeology with mastery, lecture on history with certainty, preach a sermon on the topic with veracity nor even satisfy elementary queries. Though founded in the Bible which is the origin of this saga, examine the history, archaeology, geography, science, linguistics, etc. which all converge to reveal what the world knew and somehow misplaced about a century ago. This is a mystery no longer and now, you will know the whereabouts of the lost isles of gold... 

You can't even preach a truthful sermon without knowing this information! Think of all the sermons preached in the past 2,000 years by Christians of every kind and in every era. Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Peter, John, James, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine, Athanasius, Basil the Great, Charles Finney, Charles Spurgeon, Charles Stanely they and all the rest were shut up in darkness because no one in the history of the Church had this information until NOW!   

So much for Pentecost and the Church being led of the Holy Spirit into all truth and the gates of Hell not prevailing against the Church. Turns out the Church has been in darkness all this time and God has sent his servant Timothy Jay Schwab to bring us all into the light. The Church owes Timothy a great debt. I am joking of course. Timothy is no servant of God but a heretic who denies the Trinity and preaches "the law is what redeems us." Tim is no way a Christian though he pretends to be one. The thesis of this book is as fictional as Indiana Jones who is alluded to not just on the back cover but also in the introduction on page 19.

I know what's on page 19 of this book without having read it because there is a preview feature on Amazon. Having performed several word searches there is much to say about this book before I have even read it. I would like to take note of just a few things here.

Basically this book will be a rehash of what's in Tim's videos. Just from a perusal of what's available I say with confidence that I have been completely vindicated in all my criticisms of The God Culture. I will list only two.

1. In the video Clue #53 Finding Chryse Tim purports to cite from Dionysius Periegetes. But instead he quotes him secondhand and get's it all wrong. Based on the source he provided I had surmised that he lifted it from "Phoenicians in the Lands of Gold" by J.G. Cheock who cites Dionysius on page 7 and lists the same source as Tim on page 130 of that book.

It turns out that Tim has read "Phoenicians in the Lands of Gold" because Cheock is listed as a source in the index.

We see here Tim's profound scientific method of providing secondhand quotes. Instead of going to Cheock's source, Rebecca Catz, Tim prefers to cite Cheock!

As far as Dionysus goes it was I who did the research to find an English translation by Thomas Twyne in the EEBO database. Tim had no idea it existed until I came along. Tim now claims to be using that translation as his source rather then Cheock. But he does not cite Thomas Twyne as a primary source.  Instead he cites Check's source which is literally a middle school teacher's teaching module!

"Monsoon Winds to the "Land of Gold" is a teaching module for middle schoolers. The teaching module can be accessed here. It will open as a PDF in a new tab.   

This citation is interesting because from what I can gather on page 41 Tim actually quotes the Twyne translation. However Tim conflates the Thomas Twyne translation with this module on which Twyne is never mentioned. The English translations on that module come from two other and different sources as each quote is the same verse from Dionysius translated differently.

Imagine writing a book that is supposed to be throughly tested, claiming you have a monumental case no one can disprove, that you have a profound scientific method to prove this case, and that what you are writing is not merely a claim but absolute truth and one of your proofs comes from a middle school teacher's module. Imagine further that you have access to the original source, though it be an English translation, and you still decide to use the module as your official source. That is completely laughable. No serious person would do that. I am dumbfounded at this choice as it makes NO sense! But it is in line with Tim's "profound scientific method" of secondhand quoting.

It should be noted that the module purports to teach about Southeast Asian trade in ancient times and nowhere is the Philippines mentioned.

I don't have space here to get into it further. I have written extensively about this faulty citation elsewhere and I encourage you to read it at this link: The God Culture: Finding Chryse: Don't Follow Biased Paradigms.

2. The second instance where I have been vindicated is in Tim's use of Legeza, Peralta, and Villegas as sources proving that the Philippines traded with ancient Egypt and that Philippine gold has been found in Egypt. Again, I have written at length about how Tim had never read those sources and was even citing one of them incorrectly. In my curiosity I actually ordered the documents from Arts of Asia and posted my findings online. 

Timothy Jay Schwab and The God Culture knew NOTHING of what those authors actually wrote until I came along. Naturally they are using my research to further their goals. Take a look at the source list in the index:

Look at how he uses Wikipedia as a source for #22! There are other instances of Wikipedia being used as a source throughout the book.

Note that in this book Peralta is not cited at all. That is because, as I wrote elsewhere he does not discuss trade with Egypt. Only Legeza and Villegas mention Egypt. This citation lists page 137 as being quoted from Legeza but that does not seem to be the case.  Here are the citations as found on page 44.

I am quite confident that this is all my research. There is a sourcebook available that will have all the documents. We shall see if Tim actually ordered the out-of-print Arts of Asia magazine that has this article as surely he will have included the pages in the sourcebook. Either way it was I who finally opened up Legeza, Peralta, and Villegas. Tim and The God Culture had no idea what they actually wrote until I came along. Read more at: The God Culture: Philippine Gold Jewelry Found in 1st Century Egypt.

Based on these two instances it seems I was correct when I wrote the following back in June:

I cannot wait for this book to be published. It looks like it will be big, glossy, and colorful with many pictures. It will be fun to see what exactly is inside. I predict Tim will use my own research which is the English translation of Dionysius Periegetes and the three sources cited to claim Philippine gold was found in 1st century Egypt.  That would be Legeza, Peralta, and Villegas. Tim did not know about any of those resources until I used them in my rebuttals to him. 

The God Culture: Book Cover Review

Of course with Tim taking liberally from other bloggers left and right such as Ancient Philippines as sources for his videos it wasn't that hard of a prediction to make. Funny how they vilify me and yet use my research.

One more thing about what is in the book and that is it appears that Tim makes a passing reference to me on page 45.

"We had one question the "belief" of Adrian Horridge...." 

That is most certainly a reference to me as I wrote about what Horridge wrote and how he does not say what Tim thinks he says. You can read more about that at: The God Culture: Does Timothy Schwab Have A Missionary Visa?

No doubt "Solomon's Treasure" will be an interesting book. Even more interesting will be reading any critical reviews. Surely I cannot be the only person who has dissected Tim's videos. Books have a way of making the rounds more so than videos especially a series of videos that is hundreds of hours long. Hopefully this book makes its way into the hands of real scholars and they can give it a proper thrashing.

Having a sourcebook to go along with Solomon's Treasure is a pretty nifty idea.

However in order to access it you have to buy Solomon's Treasure and then register somehow.  I have scoured all their websites and there is no information on how to register. Maybe that information will come with the book.

https://www.paperturn-view.com/?pid=MTI123387

This SOURCEBOOK is free for those who purchase The Search for King Solomon's Treasure, The Search for King Solomon's Treasure: Instructional Edition and/or Ophir Philippines Coffee Table Book. There is no availability for those wishing to review a Sourcebook without actually reading. You may purchase the books at: Ophirinstitute.com.

Questions? Email us at thegodculture@gmail.com

We reserve the right to reject access to those who cyber libel.

I assume that last sentence is a reference to me as well because Tim and The God Culture have libelously accused me of cyber libel on several occasions. At the bottom of the list of sources there is a rather snarky comment.

(Yeah, we know, we didn't do any research and are just guessing right? What an illiterate position of scoffers who wallow in ignorance.)

https://www.thegodculture.com/source-list

I for one never made such a statement. What I have said repeatedly is that Tim misuses and misinterprets his sources, has not read some of them, and liberally quotes secondhand without referring to the originals. Here is what Tim has to say about his sources especially Thomas Suarez who actually made it into Tim's book as an official source as part of the "Monumental Case For The Philippines No One Can Disprove."

Suarez is wrong. We do not quote his conclusions because they are ignorant and loaded with propaganda as well and we do not consider him a true scholar as he tows the Rothschild line inheriting such from the likes of Samuel Purchas who was employed by the East India Company specifically to hack up this topic as a matter of record and confuse people with propaganda.

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-god-culture-philippine-gold-jewelry.html?showComment=1584195525058#c7011209112326719045

Why even bother with sources when Tim says outright he does not believe them? Why cite them as authorities? 

The real problem with these sources is that they form Tim's entire case. He has done ZERO archeological work. Instead he has taken texts both ancient and modern and deduced from them the solution to the ancient mystery of the identity of Ophir. He is an armchair researcher and not a real archaeologist like Ron Wyatt who, whether you agree with his findings or not, actually went into the field to prove his claims. Same with Heinrich Schliemann who discovered Troy by leaving his study and going into the field to dig. Even the fictional Indiana Jones Tim references goes into the field to find an artifact wether it be the Cross of Coronado, the Ark of the Covenant, or the Holy Grail. Tim has no artifacts to prove his case. He only has these texts and his deductions many of which, such as his identification of the Chersonesus Aurea as the Philippines, are wrong.  

Another thing Tim gets wrong is trade between the Philippines and Israel via the southern tip of Africa. On page 136 Tim writes the following:

Therefore, Ophir had to bring goods to Israel instead which we see in Jonah's story. The ships of Tarshish were certainly trading in Israel again traveling the long way around Africa to the port at Joppa (Jn. 1:1-3) as did the Three Kings after Messiah's birth in about 6 B.C. or so.

While Herodotus does record a single instance of Africa being circumnavigated by the Phoenicians his account is doubted by some. In any case ancient Greek maps do not show much of sub-Saharan Africa, certainly not the southern tip of Africa, and it was Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias who made the first documented voyage around Africa in 1488. The fact is that until modern times this route was rarely taken if ever. Yet Tim expects us all to believe that there was a robust trade between the Philippines and Israel with the route circumnavigating Africa over 2,000 years ago. Such prattle is obvious nonsense not supported by any facts except the ones Tim fabricates by grossly misinterpreting Horridge, Legeza, and Villegas.

As I said there is so much I can write about this book already without having read it. For instance Timothy Jay Schwab's "Monumental Case For The Philippines No One Can Disprove" includes such authoritative sources as Wikipedia and some dude's blog.

Two of the many citations from Wikipedia 

http://genesavoy.blogspot.com

Yes, that is really in the list of sources in the index. Why!?

I will leave just one more tidbit indicative of the kind of deception that will be in this book as it is in The God Culture's videos. It comes from Chapter 3 page 33.

That is not Greece but the Acropolis ruins in Fortune Island of Nagsugbu, Batangas, Philippines.

Wrong! Those are not the ruins of a Greek Acropolis at all. Rather it's the ruins of a resort for the very rich.

The island only later in time got the name it has today. A few decades ago it used to serve as a very exclusive luxury resort designed to serve the upper class of society. By that time it was actually called 'Little Paradise' according to the locals. 

Because it was designed for the upper class, the creators thought it was fitting to make the resort in ancient Greek style. They built a replica of the Greek Acropolis of Athens on top of a lime stone cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In today's time, the structure still serves as the island's main landmark.

https://travelthroughparadise.com/destinations/articles/Nasugbu_Fortune_Island.php

Surely Tim knows that those aren't actual Greek ruins right? He cannot be that dumb. After all his biography, which is spread across several pages, makes mention of a profound scientific method used by The God Culture in doing their research. 

It's just pure deception as the uncritical reader will think that there are actually Grecian ruins in the Philippines. It's the same tactic he pulled with Greek armor allegedly being found in Mindanao. You can read more about that here:  The God Culture: Ancient Greek Armor Found In Mindanao. 

When I receive this book I will not be reviewing it by ripping it to shreds source-by-source. I have already proven that Tim's claims are nonsense and that he is totally dishonest with his sources. Never forget Timothy Jay Schwab is also a heretic who denies the Trinity and is on record saying "the law is what redeems us." Instead I want to compare "Solomon's Treasure" to a book titled "My Country's Godly Heritage: The History of the Philippines In Biblical Perspective" by Ferdinand V. Melendres. 

I have yet to read this book but the author appears to have a similar thesis to Timothy Schwab and The God Culture. It will be interesting to see where the two converge and diverge. This author and book do not show up in a search of Tim's book nor have I heard him mention it in any of his videos. I wonder if he knows it exists.

Retards in the Government 181

 It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/350424/ex-barangay-councilor-shot-dead-in-barili-suspect-arrested

Police in Barili town, southwestern Cebu arrested this morning, November 12, 2020, the prime suspect in the killing of a former village councilor who was shot dead inside his store in Barangay Mantalongon, Barili, Cebu on Wednesday night. 

Jay Lito Salva Bendanillo, 41, a resident of Barangay Bolocboloc of the same town, is now facing murder charges after he was arrested past 9 this morning following a hot pursuit operation in Barangay Candabong, Dumanjug. 

Bendanillo was positively identified by witnesses as the one who shot Porferio Carazo Reyes Jr, 52, a resident of Barangay Balao, Barili, and a former village councilor of the said barangay. 

Police Corporal Michael Villardar, of the Barili Police Station, said that Bendanillo was arrested after a hot pursuit operation following the shooting incident. 

Police said that as Reyes was preparing to cook dinner inside his store in Barangay Mantalongon on Wednesday night, Bendanillo suddenly arrived and shot the victim several times. 

Reyes, according to police, was able to grab a bolo and hacked Bendanillo hitting him on the arm. But the suspect fired again hitting Reyes who slumped bloodied to the ground. Witnesses rushed Reyes to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. 

Police said jealousy could be the motive behind the fatal shooting as Bendanillo reportedly has a long-standing grudge with Reyes whom he suspected of having an affair with his partner.

An ex-barangay councilor was shot in his kitchen while preparing dinner. He was able to hack his attacker with a bolo before he died. Jealousy over a love affair might be the motive.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1121638

Three government officials are offering more than PHP1 million cash reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of the killer of a former barangay official in Guipos town.

Gov. Victor Yu and his wife, first district Rep. Divina Grace, said Thursday they are offering up to PHP1 million, while Mayor Ruel Molina of Kumalarang town offers PHP50,000 to any informant who can help solve the killing of Jemar Pintac, 42.

Pintac and his son, Mark Anthony, were supervising a road construction project in Guipos town when shot and killed around 3 p.m. on November 5.

This is the first time hearing about this story. It appears the murder of ex-village chief Jemar Pinta was reported in only one source and his status as an ex-village chief was not noted.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/11/14/2056758/flooding-metro-could-have-been-prevented-coa

“Various projects were not completed/implemented within the specific contract time due to inadequate planning and absence of coordination mechanism with the other concerned agencies and stakeholders, which hindered the MMDA in attaining its objective to mitigate flooding in the metropolis,” a COA report read.

Based on the COA’s 2019 annual audit report on the MMDA released last Sept. 30, of the 108 programmed flood control projects of the agency for 2019 totaling P1.1 billion, only 45.37 percent or 49 projects amounting to P453.242 million were completed as of yearend.

But Baltazar Melgar, chief of the MMDA’s Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office (FCSMO), told The STAR  that the projects cited by COA were “completed this year.”

“The said projects are only minor ones like improvement of drainage, riprapping and rehabilitation of waterways leading to our pumping stations,” he said.

“The completion of these projects was delayed because the approval of the GAA (General Appropriations Act) was also delayed, and there was an election ban,” he said.

The COA says the MMDA was lax in implementing loos control projects but they say that is not the case. In their defense they cite an election ban on public works. This ban is implemented every election season for about 45 days. The reason for the ban is:

The prohibition is aimed at preventing government officials from using government resources and facilities to influence the voters in their choices for national and local elective positions.

https://business.inquirer.net/264916/election-ban-on-public-works

Just another instance how government corruption hurts the people.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1361719/commissions-from-govt-projects-ignite-tiff-among-zambo-sur-allies

Two years after closing ranks against a common political enemy, Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Victor Yu and 2nd District Rep. Leonardo Babasa are breaking up their alliance due to a quarrel over commissions from government projects, another ally revealed.

Governor Yu and his wife, 1st District Rep. Divina Yu, have confirmed a falling out between them and Babasa due to the latter’s unfulfilled promise that the couple would decide whom to award national government-funded projects for his district.

These revelations sprouted as public works projects were put on the spotlight for alleged corruption that President Duterte vowed to stamp out in his remaining days in office.

Kumalarang town mayor Ruel Molina spilled the beans about the roots of the political quarrel after he felt alluded to by Representative Yu as having a hand in the killing of a former village official, who initiated an administrative case that led to his preventive suspension last month.

After winning as mayor in 2019, Molina allegedly pressured the village chief and six council members of Barangay Mahayahay to resign so his protege, the 7th councilman, can head the village.

Molina said the Yu couple was bent on controlling the “SOP of projects” even in Babasa’s district.

Long story short, and it is long, there was a political alliance between to families where one would be able to dictate who got what DWPH projects. A rather mundane and typical portrait of the endemic corruption in the government.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1362103/palace-spare-tire-robredo-made-it-appear-she-was-in-charge

Malacañang on Wednesday said that Vice President Leni Robredo became the most recent target of President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades because she made it appear that she was in charge of typhoon response efforts.

A visibly irritated Duterte started his weekly talk to the nation by falsely calling Robredo “dishonest” for supposedly claiming he was absent during Typhoon Ulysses’ onslaught.

Robredo never issued any remark asking for Duterte’s whereabouts when Ulysses wreaked havoc and caused massive flooding over parts of the country, only of real-time updates via her Twitter account when several netizens asked for helpfollowing massive flooding in Cagayan and Isabela due to Typhoon Ulysses.

But presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made an issue out of Robredo’s “postings.”

“And of course, her Twitter posts making it appear that she was the one calling the shots at the time of the typhoon was completely out of order…. And the President said, under the Constitutional scheme, the Vice President is a spare tire and when Ulysses struck, he (Duterte) was in charge,” he added.

It's really awful how the administration continues to kick Robredo no matter what she does. It's awful that they cannot all work together as they should. Just one more reason the nation remains the way it is.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1362463/2-after-gordon-threatens-to-block-budget-duque-admits-corruption-in-past-doh-dealings

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III acknowledged on Wednesday that there was “corruption” in some of the previous dealings of the Department of Health (DOH) after Sen. Richard Gordon threatened to block the approval of the department’s budget.

In 2016, the DOH and J. Bros Construction signed a P3.5-billion contract to establish barangay health stations in public elementary schools.

The contract indicated that 3,200 stations should be built for the first phase of the program.

But when J. Bros Construction submitted its notice of termination of contract in March 2018 to the DOH it demanded payment of P2.1 billion for accomplishing the first and second phases of the project.

But the DOH had previously said that only 270 stations were built, which Gordon reiterated during the deliberations.

Sen. Pia Cayetano, who sponsored the DOH budget, said the department would want to follow the ruling of the Court of Appeals, which directed the agency to pay the private contractor for the 270 completed units and “whatever the [Commission on Audit] decides is due to the contractor based on quantum merit.”

Further, Cayetano said the DOH had terminated the contract with the contractor.

The DOH also blacklisted the contractor, “but such a decision was overturned” by a Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC), according to Cayetano.

“Thus, the DOH, with the [Office of the Solicitor General] is questioning this RTC decision. This case is pending before the RTC of Manila,” Cayetano added.

But Gordon said: “I am shocked. This is really swindling the country… Those people are really daring. So what are you doing about it, Secretary Duque? What are you and your lawyers doing about it?”

“Do you agree that there was corruption here?” he asked. “‘There’s corruption.’ I want that on the record as stated by the Department of Health.”

At lest Duque admits there has been corruption within the DOH. For whatever that is worth.

Coronavirus Lockdown: Evacuation Centers, DepEd Ham and Cheese, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.

Good news for those in the Eastern Visayas infected with COVD-19.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1121603

A total of 6,879 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients in Eastern Visayas have recovered from the illness, the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Thursday.

 

The number represents 90.11 percent of the region's 7,634 confirmed cases since March, DOH Eastern Visayas assistant regional director Carmen Garado said in a virtual press briefing.

 

"Almost 99 percent of our patients are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms and the rest are severe or critical cases," she said.

 

The health department also reported that 72 or 94 percent of infected patients in the region have died of complications.

 

Garado said the majority of these patients are senior citizens and persons with other illnesses such as chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and diabetes, among others.

How can there be a 90% survival rate and a 72 or 94% death rate? I think there is an error here as 72 is .94% of 7,634. Either way the majority of death cases is from those who had existing serious illnesses. This is in line with the US CDC which noted a 6% death rate from COVID-19 alone with the rest due to existing comorbidities. Zamboanga City has noted an 85% recovery rate.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1122066

The city government here recorded a total of 2,170 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) recoveries as of Monday, or 85 percent of the total confirmed cases of 3,168 since the pandemic was declared in March.

Even with the high recovery rate, residents must still continuously practice the minimum health standards to contain the virus disease, Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite, city health officer, said on Tuesday.

Finally someone admits there is a high recovery rate from COVID-19. Too bad they won't go even further.

Cebu Pacific has been hit rather hard by the pandemic. 

https://business.inquirer.net/311556/as-cebu-air-deals-with-empty-seats-costly-plane-upkeep-losses-hit-p14-7b

Heavy losses continued for the operator of budget airline Cebu Pacific amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cebu Air Inc. disclosed on Wednesday a net loss of P14.7 billion by the end of September this year—a reversal of the P6.8-billion profit in the nine-month period last year—as the air travel sector collapsed due to flight restrictions and lockdowns in the Philippines and overseas.

While regular flights have gradually restarted in recent months despite the challenging environment and rising COVID-19 cases, Cebu Air stated this was “still far behind its normal activity level.”

Cebu Air assured investors it had ample resources to survive the crisis.

“The group believes that it remains a resilient airline despite the adverse impact of the COVID-19 outbreak,” the filing showed.

It also implemented a host of cost-cutting measures, including laying off workers, reducing management pay and slashing capital expenses.

Can the Philippines' premier budget airline survive the pandemic? Probably. Maybe. We'll see.

The Philippines has been hit by a string of typhoons lately. The ensuing evacuations could end up being a cause for further transmission of COVID-19.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/763964/transmission-of-covid-19-in-evacuation-centers-a-very-strong-possibility-duque-warns/story/

The transmission of COVID-19 in evacuation centers is a "very strong possibility," Health Secretary Francisco Duque III warned the public on Friday after Typhoon Ulysses rendered the "stay at home" pandemic response policy impossible for many Filipino families.

During a briefing with other government agencies involved in Typhoon Ulysses response, Duque advised the local government units and emergency responders to observe minimum health standards to avoid the spread of the virus among the evacuees.

"It's a very strong possibility kaya kinakailangang magmatyag ang atin pong mga safety officers na ipinapatalaga ng DOH (Department of Health) sa mga local government units," he said.

Only one family should be accommodated per classroom or tent as much as possible, according to Duque. He added that these temporary shelters should be properly ventilated.

Despite being concerned about spreading the disease the DILG says LGUs can ease COVID-19 restrictions to allow media and other groups in to typhoon affected areas.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/14/20/lgus-can-lift-covid-19-restrictions-to-grant-groups-media-access-to-ulysses-hit-areas-dilg-chief

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has given local government units severely affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses the go-signal to relax quarantine restrictions to grant access to relief and rescue groups. 

"Last week, I sent a memo to all LGUs in calamity areas and severely hit areas that health protocol restrictions can be lifted provided they coordinate with the (regional inter-agency task force) so they would know anong grupo ang darating (what groups are coming), rescue at relief groups," Interior Secretary Eduardo Año told reporters in Calamba, Laguna on Saturday. 

"We will lift restrictions if it is for rescue and relief para mas mabilis ang actions natin (so action will go faster)," he added.

Who knows but that these aid groups could spread the virus further?

Christmas has certainly been cancelled for the DepEd all because a Grinch posted their plans to procure Christmas hams and cheese on Facebook.

 https://www.rappler.com/nation/deped-cancels-bidding-ham-and-cheese

The Department of Education (DepEd) said Saturday, November 14, that it cancelled the bidding of over P4.2 million "for the supply and delivery of ham and cheese for the DepEd Central Office Christmas celebration." 

"It was [a] regular procurement but it is inappropriate at this time when our employees are severely affected by recent disasters. We have since reallocated the funds for the needs of those affected by typhoons Rolly and Ulysses and the ongoing COVID-19 effort for our employees," Education Undersecretary Revsee Escobedo said in a statement. 

"Other regional and division offices not affected by the typhoons have also pitched in to help our teachers and learners on the ground," Escobedo added. 

The cancellation was made following the viral Facebook post of newspaper columnist Tonyo Cruz, containing DepEd's 'invitation to bid.' In his post, Cruz said that DepEd was supposed to buy 4,260 pieces of ham and 2,160 pieces of cheese, amounting to P4.278 million.

A regular procurement? The DepEd pays millions each year on Christmas hams while teachers lack adequate pay and supplies and children are forced to obtain a bad education?

Cebu and Davao have shut their borders once more due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1361042/cebu-davao-close-borders-anew

The cities of Cebu and Davao, the economic powerhouses of the Visayas and Mindanao, will shut its borders anew in the wake of the rising cases of coronavirus disease.

Cebu City will be off-limits to nonessential travels starting at 5:01 a.m. on Monday, Mayor Edgardo Labella posted on Facebook on Saturday.

“We do not want to return to an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) so we need to be more vigilant while the virus remains,” he said.

In Davao City, Mayor Sara Durterte issued an order asking the Joint Task Force (JTF) COVID Shield to restrict nonessential travel to the city effective 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

And so the pendulum swings back and forth. From Lockdown to easing restrictions to lockdown and back again.

Police in Northen Samar have been busy rounding up quarantine violators.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1121926

At least 214 residents in Northern Samar were apprehended for violating the mandatory wearing of face mask and shield in a two-day operation last week, an official said Monday.

 

The Task Force Disiplina, led by Philippine National Police, apprehended 109 violators in Catarman, the provincial capital, and the rest from the towns of Bobon, Rosario, San Jose, Lavezares, Biri, Gamay, Palapag, Lapinig, and Las Navas from Nov. 12 to 13.

 

"They were brought to their respective police stations and underwent counseling from the local health office on the importance of wearing face protection to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19)," provincial information officer John Allen Berbon said in a phone interview.

 

Berbon said violators were subsequently subjected to appropriate police processing and disposition, and free face shields and masks were provided to those who cannot afford them.

On Nov. 1, the provincial government enforced the mandatory wearing of face masks and shields in all public places and private establishments to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.

 

These include transport terminals and loading areas for pedicabs and motorcycles for hire; restaurants, cafeterias and takeout establishments; government buildings; hospitals and pharmacies; churches; public markets, supermarkets and grocery stores; and other similar places or establishments.

Maybe soon people will not have to wear face shields and face masks as a vaccine is coming soon. Of course this is dependent upon whether or not the Philippines is ready to accept it.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/764368/russia-can-make-covid-19-vaccines-for-philippines-in-january-2021/story/

Russia can begin the production of COVID-19 vaccines intended for the Philippines as early as January next year if the country is ready to accept them, Manila’s Ambassador to Moscow Carlos Sorreta said Monday.

Sorreta made the statement days after the developers of Russia’s vaccine candidate, Sputnik V, reported that it was 92% effective at preventing people from catching the virus based on interim results of a large trial.

“It’s subject to doing our own due diligence on it but they can start producing for us because they have to produce it as it is ordered, as early as January if we are ready to accept it," Sorreta said at a Palace news conference.

“Of course, we need to be ready with some of the infrastructure para ho sa storage at the required temperatures. There’s a version of the vaccine that will not require extreme temperatures but it might be a little more expensive,” he added.

In August, the Philippines said it was ready to work with Russia on clinical trials, vaccine supply and production, and “other areas deemed practicable” by relevant Philippine and Russian agencies to address the COVID-19 crisis.

Hopefully the government can get their game together in time to procure a vaccine whenever it is available.

We all know the pandemic has devastated the economy. Thank goodness for OFWs who saved it from completely tanking.

https://business.inquirer.net/311860/bsp-data-strong-dollar-remittances-in-september-keep-ph-economy-from-sinking

The Philippines’ estimated 10 million citizens abroad once more stepped in to buoy the local economy in the middle of a crisis, driving a late third quarter surge in dollar remittance that helped ward off a worst case scenario earlier feared by the central bank.

In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said personal remittances from overseas Filipinos amounted to $2.888 billion in September 2020, which was higher by 9.1 percent than the $2.648 billion recorded in the same month in 2019.

Just a hunch but maybe the economy is a lot worse than we are being told.

How can the Philippines best handle a pandemic?  With more bureaucracy.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1361730/house-panel-oks-creation-of-national-health-security-council

The House committee on health on Tuesday approved a bill that seeks to create a National Health Security Council that would formulate an emergency plan to handle public health emergencies. 

The panel approved the still unnumbered substitute bill for measures providing national health security, strengthening national preparedness and response to public health emergencies and establishing a national public health emergency council.

Under the bill, the National Health Security Council will be tasked to draft a health security national action plan — a country owned, multi-year, planning process that can accelerate the implementation of International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities.

“It captures national priorities for health security, brings sectors together, identifies partners and allocates resources for health security capacity development,” panel chair Helen Tan said during a virtual meeting.

“It also serves as an overarching process to capture all ongoing preparedness initiatives along with the country’s governance mechanisms for emergency and disaster risk management,” she added.

Among the members of the PHSC are the Secretaries of government agencies, Executive Secretary, Press Secretary, Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Security Adviser, Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, and President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines

What is stopping these agencies from coordinating already? 

The House has also passed a bill calling for the formation of a medical reserve corps.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1122095

A committee at the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a measure proposing the creation of a medical reserve corps, which is a priority measure of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The House Committee on Health, chaired by Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, approved the unnumbered substitute bill to House Bills 6809, 6821, 7007, 7157, 7267, 7274, 7331, 7361, 7365, 7383, and 7469, which would institute the medical reserve corps (MCR).

Tan said this would enhance the capacity of the country’s health system in times of health crises such as the current coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

She added that MCR volunteers would be assured of proper working conditions, compensation, and benefits, as well as legal liability and malpractice insurance.

Under the bill, members of the medical reserve corps may be called upon and mobilized to assist the national and local governments in their functions related to addressing the urgent needs of the country’s health-care system during times of crisis.

The MRC shall be composed of all persons who have degrees in the field of medicine, nursing, medical technology, and other health-related fields but have yet to have their respective licenses to practice for reasons such as but not limited to not having taken and/or passed the licensure examinations in their respective professions.

The bill also proposes that members of the medical reserve corps may be called to undergo retraining to maintain and enhance their level of competency and readiness for mobilization in times of crisis.

This medical corps is going to be composed of trained but unlicensed medical professionals? What????

Old Man in Leyte Outperforms Government By Planting 10,000 Trees

One old man in Leyte is doing more for typhoon disaster prevention and environmental protection than the inutile Philippine government.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1121468

For eight years now, a 65-year-old man in Matalom, Leyte has planted about 10,000 mangroves along a coastal area at the back of his house.

Gary Dabasol, jobless, has been planting mangroves in Punong village because he was worried of the danger of big waves especially during typhoons.

In doing so, he just gathered mangrove seedlings along the coastline in their village. Among the mangrove species that he planted include miyapi, pagatpat, and bakawan.

“I'm glad that I was able to inspire people, I hope that they will also follow what I am doing. I also want to contribute to higher marine production by cultivating a spooning area for fish, crabs, and shrimps and other species," Dabasol said in an interview on Wednesday.

The story of Dabasol was shared by netizen Dan Niez from Hilongos town, who visited the coastal area of Matalom last week to unwind.

Niez said the last time he went to the area several years ago, the place was just an open space along the shoreline.

He was surprised that during his visit last week, there are full-grown mangroves planted along the coastline.

“When I posted it, many people reacted especially millennials and praised Tatay Gary for what he did. I think they were inspired, and I hope they are inspired because planting 10,000 mangroves is not that easy,” Niez said.

“I hope that the government will also help him because what he did is extraordinary. It is not usual for one person to have this kind of initiative," Niez added.

Right now there has been typhoon after typhoon hitting the Philippines and the Senate and everyone else are wondering what can be done? This man is showing what can and should be done to prevent flooding during a typhoon. Doing a Google search for "philippines deforestation floods" and thousands of results show up. Here is one from 2005:

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2005/11/10/306119/deforestation-one-major-causes-rp-floods

"If FAO/CIFOR concluded that in those countries deforestation is not a cause of flooding, such findings do not hold true in the Philippines where forest degradation has gone from mild to severe, from 70 percent forest cover in 1900 to barely 18 percent in 1998," said Anabelle Plantilla, executive director of Haribon Foundation (www.haribon.org.ph), the country’s foremost environmental non-government organization in the forefront of issues for more than three decades. 

According to Norman Myers, author of the Primary Source, Tropical Forests and Our Future (1992), "the forests exert a sponge effect, soaking up moisture before releasing it at regular rates… The multi-storied structure of the forest, together with its vast amount of foliage, helps break the impact of a tropical downpour." 

He added that "the region where deforestation is most advanced is Southern-Southeast Asia, and it suffers (from) floods that increase in rage and intensity year by year." 

It seems as if nothing has been done as 15 years later conservation groups are calling for the same thing: reforestation.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1361520/group-says-protection-of-forests-must-be-core-of-disaster-response

Restoration and conservation of the Philippines’ existing forests, from rainforests to mangrove forests, should be at the core of the country’s disaster risk reduction plans, according to the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).

Noting that deforestation caused massive flooding in Cagayan Valley due to Ulysses, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on Sunday said planting trees would soon be mandatory for public transport cooperatives and individuals seeking franchises or licenses.

In a meeting with President Duterte and other Cabinet officials, Tugade said a regional director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had suggested that members of cooperatives must plant 500 trees before being granted a franchise.

He said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) was closely coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and local government units in identifying areas for reforestation.

Transportation Secretary Tugade says it will be mediator for public transport cooperatives and individuals seeking franchisee to plant 500 trees before they are granted a franchise. Where will these trees come form? The Department of Agriculture? The DOA donated 1,500 trees for the local INC to plant back in 2017 and those trees are all dead now because nobody maintained them. Who will maintain the trees these franchise seekers plant? 

Even if these groups plant 500 trees each it will likely all go to waste somehow. Maybe the Philippines needs less government programs and more men like Gary Dabasol. Look at what he did all by himself.

https://www.facebook.com/nowinleyte/posts/225676302223133

All it takes to succeed it initiative and determination. The government could do these kinds of things too but they don't. That is a result of more red tape and corruption.