The God Culture: The Philippines In Fernando Pinto's Journal

Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture is very certain Fernando Pinto shipwrecked in the Philippines, specifically the Batanes in Luzon. While this claim is incorrect, it is true that the Philippines is mentioned in Pinto’s travel account. Let’s examine every instance where the Philippines appears, to understand what Pinto is actually saying and what he is not. 

The Portuguese designation for the the inhabitants of Luzon was Luçones. This word shows up several times in Pinto's journal. Here is every single instance as translated by Rebecca Catz. In every circumstance the Luzons are described as hired mercenaries. Some of them are described as Moors which means they are Muslims. Before the Spanish colonization and subsequent Christianization of the Philippines Luzon had a significant Muslim population. 

Early the following day the king departed for Achin, which was located eighteen leagues from the town of Turbão, from where he started out with an army of fifteen thousand men, only eight thousand of whom were Battak nationals; the rest consisted of troops from Menangkabow, Luzon, Indragiri, Jambi, and Borneo that the princes of those nations had sent to his aid.

pg. 26

However, that same night, their spies captured five fishermen who confessed under torture that this was the same armada that the Achinese king had sent two months before to Tenasserim in his war with the Sornau, king of Siam, in which five thousand Luzons and Borneans, all hand-picked men, were said to be returning, under the command of a Turk by the name of Hamed Khan, nephew of the pasha of Cairo.

pg. 28

Convinced that this was the best course of action to follow, the king immediately gave his approval and set about preparing a fleet of 160 sails, comprised mainly of oar-propelled lancharas and galliots, as well as some Javanese calaluzes and fifteen multiple-decked vessels loaded with provisions and munitions; and he put seventeen thousand men aboard these ships, counting twelve thousand soldiers and the rest sappers and sailors; and among those twelve thousand fighting men he had a regiment of four thousand foreign mercenaries—Turks, Abyssinians, Malabaris, Gujeratis, and Luzons from Borneo. 

pg. 46

Leaving eight hundred of the best soldiers in the fleet behind, under the command of a Moor from Luzon by the name of Sapetu de Rajah, he departed with the remainder of his force for Achin, where it was said the tyrant king overwhelmed him with very high honors for the successful outcome of the campaign, conferring on him the title of king of Barros whereas previously he had only been governor and bendara of Barros (as mentioned earlier); and from that time on he was called sultan of Barros, which is the word for king among the Moors.

pg. 49

Seeing them that way he asked them how they happened to meet with their misfortune, and they began by telling him, their voices choked with emotion, that seventeen days before, they had left Ning-po, bound for Malacca, intending to go on to India from there if the monsoon prevailed; but when they had sailed as far as the island of Sumbor, they were attacked by a Gujerati thief named Khoja Hassim, in a fleet of three junks and four lanteias, with an armed force on these seven ships of five hundred men, including 150 Moors from Luzon, Borneo, Java, and Champa, all of them from parts east of Malaya; and that he finally overcame them after a battle that lasted from one to four o’clock in the afternoon and left eighty-two people dead, including eighteen Portuguese, to say nothing of an equal number taken captive and the cargo on the junk that they made off with, which belonged to them as well as some other investors and was worth well over 100,000 taels; and in addition, they related some other particulars that were so distressing, you could see pain and anguish welling up in the eyes of some of the men who were listening there.

pg. 107

Seeing all this, the enemies who were still on board the junks—and there must have been as many as 150 of them, all Moors from Luzon and Borneo, with a few Javanese to boot—began to show signs of weakening, as many of them were already jumping over the sides.

pg. 112

He had the junk anchored close to the island while he and all his men made ready to go ashore in three rowing vessels with a falcon, five culverins, and sixty wellarmed men, Javanese and Luzons, thirty of whom were carrying muskets and the rest lances and arrows, and a large quantity of fire pots and other firearms suitable for our purpose.

pg. 305

There were thirty-six thousand foreign mercenaries in this formation who came from forty-two different nations, including Portuguese, Greeks, Venetians, Turks, Janissaries, Jews, Armenians, Tartars, Moghuls, Abyssinians, Rajputs, Nobins, Khorasanis, Persians, Tuparás, Gizares, Tanocos of Arabia Felix, Malabaris, Javanese, Achinese, Mons, Siamese, Luzons from the isle of Borneo, Chacomás, Arakanese, Predins, Papuans, Celebes, Mindanaons, Peguans, Burmese, Chalões, Jaquesalões, Savadis, Tangus, Calaminhãs, Chaleus, Andamans, Bengalese, Gujeratis, Indragiris, Menangkabowans, and many, many more whose nationalities I never did learn.

pg. 317

On being informed of the arrival of the king of Sunda, who was both his vassal and his brother-in-law, he sent a reception party out to his ship, headed by the king of Panarukan, the admiral of the fleet, who departed with 160 oared calaluzes and lancharas carrying Luzons from the island of Borneo.

pg. 384

As soon as he got word of this, the Oyá P’itsanulok, captain-general of the city, came running to the scene in great haste, accompanied by his fifteen thousand men, most of them Luzons, Borneans, and Chams, with some Menangkabowans among them, and issued an order to throw open the gates through which the Burmese was trying to break in.

pg. 415

In the first English translation of Pinto's journal Luzon is Lufons.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nc01.ark:/13960/t0ns8c57t&view=1up&seq=37&skin=2021&size=150&q1=lufons

It is well-known that in 17th-century English the letter "s" was often written as "f." That means Lufons is Lusons. 

The original Portuguese also reflects this nomenclature using the word Lusoes.

I know Tim will say the original Portuguese is not Pinto's original text and is thus unreliable. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: The blogger misleadingly cites the 1614 printed edition of Fernão Mendes Pinto’s Peregrinação in Portuguese as if it were the author's unaltered original manuscript. This is categorically false. Pinto’s actual manuscript was never published during his lifetime and did not survive in its entirety. The 1614 edition, edited posthumously—most likely by Francisco de Andrade—has long been known among scholars to contain substantial editorial interventions, including altered chronology, confused geography, and potential narrative blending. Even respected translator and scholar Rebecca Catz warned that the printed text suffers from “glaring and daring” chronological inaccuracies, with Pinto’s latitudes, distances, and sequencing often shaped by retrospective memory or publisher alterations. Citing this flawed edition as if it represents Pinto’s precise and intended meaning, without accounting for its compromised editorial history, is not only academically irresponsible—it’s deceptive. The claim that this constitutes Pinto’s “original Portuguese” is disingenuous and collapses under even basic scholarly scrutiny.

https://thegodculturephilippines.com/testing-pinto-s-accuracy-a-further-geographic-reassessment-of-lequios-lucones-and-latitude-drift/

Curiously, while Schwab scoffs at the reliability of Pinto’s journal by labelling the 1614 Portuguese edition as unreliable due to editorial interference, he nevertheless leans on that same edition to argue for a shipwreck in Batanes. This edition serves as the basis for all English translations and modern Portuguese versions of the text. If the text is fundamentally compromised, then its authority for making geographical claims collapses. One cannot selectively discredit and embrace the same source depending on what suits one’s agenda. Yet that is exactly what Tim does by embracing Pinto's geographical observations while rejecting his precise coordinate of 29°N for the Lequios Islands. 

There are two other references to the Philippines in Pinto's journal that are rather oblique. Pinto mentions an "archipelago located in the easternmost corner of Asia, which is referred to as “the outer edge of the world” in the geographical works of the Chinese, Siamese, Gueos, and Ryukyu." Here is Catz's translation with the word Ryukyu alongside the first English translation with the word Lequios. 

But on the other hand, when I consider that God always watched over me and brought me safely through all those hazards and hardships, then I find that there is not as much reason to complain about my past misfortune as there is reason to give thanks to the Lord for my present blessings, for he saw fit to preserve my life, so that I could write this awkward, unpolished tale, which I leave as a legacy for my children—because it is intended only for them. I want them to know all about the twenty-one years of difficulty and danger I lived through, in the course of which I was captured thirteen times and sold into slavery seventeen times, in various parts of India, Ethiopia, Arabia Felix, China, Tartary, Macassar, Sumatra, and many other provinces of the archipelago located in the easternmost corner of Asia, which is referred to as “the outer edge of the world” in the geographical works of the Chinese, Siamese, Gueos, and Ryukyu, about which I expect to have a lot more to say later on, and in much greater detail.

pg. 1

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nc01.ark:/13960/t0ns8c57t&view=1up&seq=19&skin=2021&size=150&q1=edge

That same day they immediately set about the business of selecting a new pangueyrão who is, as I have said several times before, the imperial dignitary above all the pates and kings in that great archipelago which the Chinese, Tartar, Japanese, and Ryukyu writers refer to as Rate na quem dau, meaning “the outer edge of the world,” as one can see from looking at a map, provided the degrees of latitude are drawn accurately.

pg. 393

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nc01.ark:/13960/t0ns8c57t&view=1up&seq=275&skin=2021&size=125

According to Catz "outer edge of the world" is a reference to the Malay Archipelago which encompasses the Philippines amongst other nations. 

“outer edge of the world”: The author is here referring to the Malay Archipelago, the largest of island groups in the world, comprising the islands of the East Indies, including Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas, Timor, New Guinea, Borneo, Celebes, and the Philippines. 

pg. 525

Tim can dismiss Catz's explanation  as much as he likes, but that does not resolve the underlying problem. If “Lequios” refers to the Philippines, specifically Batanes or Luzon, then what is the archipelago located “in the easternmost corner of Asia,” described by the Lequios as "the outer edge of the world?" How can it be both the Lequios and the Luzons if the Lequios reference it as a different place? If the Lequios are the same as the Luções (Lusoes), then why does Pinto clearly distinguish between them in his journal? Why are some Luzons described as Moors (Muslims) while no Lequios are described as Moors? The only reasonable conclusion is that the Lequios and Luzons, who inhabited the island of Luzon in what is now the Philippines, are not the same people group. The burden of proof is on Tim to demonstrate otherwise, and so far, he has failed to do so.

Tim has accused me of ignoring the context of Pinto's entire journal.

This blogger cannot simultaneously reject Pinto’s entire journal while using it to support an alternative claim. He wants it both ways, a typical double standard from a serial hypocrite.

https://thegodculturephilippines.com/testing-pinto-s-accuracy-a-further-geographic-reassessment-of-lequios-lucones-and-latitude-drift/

That is simply not the case as from the beginning I have examined the entire narrative of Pinto's shipwreck. I have not "hyper focused" on the lone coordinate of 29°N as the only evidence of where Pinto landed. The narrative does not lead one to believe that he landed in the Philippines. This article, showing how Pinto differentiates between the Lequios, the Luzons, and the "archipelago located in the easternmost corner of Asia," is a continuation of what I have been doing from the beginning. Though I do admit that Pinto's lone coordinate of 29°N is strong enough on its own to dismiss Tim's revisionist history. 

It is Tim who does not take Pinto seriously except when it suits him. That means Tim says Pinto is unreliable when it comes to locating the Lequios Islands at 29°N yet reliable about other geographic claims. Tim is doing what he has accused me of doing. 

Instead of examining the context of Pinto's entire journal, Tim seems to be content with focusing on the shipwreck narrative by mining it for whatever "evidence" he can find to fit the Philippines while rejecting evidence such as Japanese titles, nautoquim and broquem, which contradict him. So, when Pinto says there are five islands to the west of Lequios with various resources, Tim responds by writing nonsense like the following.

🧾 Pinto’s Resource Checklist vs the Real Map

Resource

Silver Mines

Philippines (West of Batanes):  ✅ Yes – Cordillera range, Benguet Province, San Marcelino, Zambales, and Batangas Province, Luzon; Cebu and Marinduque Island, Visayas; Zamboanga del Sur, Mindanao. 

Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa):  ❌ None

Pearls

Philippines (West of Batanes): ✅ Yes – Sulu, Mindoro Strait, Palawan. [LARGEST ON EARTH!!! Mapped as Thilis, the Ancient Isle of Pearl.]

Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa): ⚠️ Minor; not a known pearl-producing hub

Amber / Resins

Philippines (West of Batanes): ✅ Yes – Copal, Almaciga NATIVE to Zambales, Mindoro, Palawan, Zamboanga and Davao.

Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa): ❌ No known trade resins or amber

Incense woods

Philippines (West of Batanes): ✅ Yes – "Poor Man's Frankincense", Manila Elemi from Pili Tree in Cordillera Region, Batangas, Masbate, Visayas and a booming industry in Bicol boasts the world's largest elemi industry reported by some. 

Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa): ❌ No eaglewood or aromatic wood production

Silk / Fiber

Philippines (West of Batanes): ✅ Yes – Piña in Aklan, Visayas; abaca in Mindoro, Luzon; Negros Oriental, Iloilo and Aklan, Visayas; all the provinces of Mindanao; and Akleng Parang (silk tree) all over Mindanao, Laguna, and Mindoro all endemic since ancient times. 

Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa): ❌ No native silk production

Rosewood

Philippines (West of Batanes): ✅ Yes – Narra [National Tree], Kamagong in Mindoro, Luzon; Palawan, Visayas; and multiple places on Mindanao.

Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa): ❌ None

Brazilwood (Dye trees)

Philippines (West of Batanes): ✅ Yes – Sibucao and other dye woods especially in Negros, Visayas.

Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa): ❌ None

Eaglewood

Philippines (West of Batanes): ✅ Yes – Eaglewood [agarwood] in Palawan, Zamboanga and other parts of Mindanao.

Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa): ❌ Not native

Pitch / Asphalt

Philippines (West of Batanes): ✅ Yes – Leyte Rock Asphalt native and ancient, pitch sources in Samar & Palawan (all West of Batanes).

Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa): ❌ None 

https://thegodculturephilippines.com/pinto-s-resource-test-the-five-great-islands-were-never-ryukyu/

None of the Islands Tim lists are West of Batanes. They are all SOUTH. The entire Philippine archipelago is SOUTH of Batanes. 

Apparently that is NEWS to Tim! Confusing South with West is a shameful embarrassment. It's high past time for Tim to stop conducting silly resource tests or 15 point tests or any other kind of so-called tests to prove the Lequios Islands are the Philippines and deal with the words of Pinto's journal which unambiguously differentiates between the Lequios and the Luzons. 

The God Culture: Understanding Pinto's Coordinates

Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture has finally responded to my articles about Fernando Pinto.  If you recall Fernando Pinto was shipwrecked in the Lequios Islands. He places those islands at "nine and twenty degrees" which means 29 degrees. Tim, instead of citing Pinto, decided to cite J.G. Cheock who says Pinto charted the Lequios Islands at 9N20 which would place them in the Philippines. Let's take a look at Tim's counterarguments.

https://thegodculture.org/understanding-pinto-s-coordinates-nine-and-twenty-degrees/

In The Search for King Solomon’s Treasure, Timothy and Anna Schwab cite the work of J.G. Cheock only once, in a single sentence, and they do so with full transparency—providing both source and original quotation in their accompanying Sourcebook, a level of disclosure far exceeding typical academic practice. Nowhere in the book do they claim to quote Pinto directly in that instance, and the source is provided. However, upon verification, Pinto’s primary source confirmed the accuracy of Cheock’s summary. The authors faithfully represented the secondary source and, after reading the primary, did so with full contextual understanding and integrity. Yes, they read the source – secondary and primary. 

Recently, a blogger falsely accused them of “lying” despite their accurate citation and representation. Such a charge not only misrepresents the facts but reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of both scholarly standards and the historical texts themselves. Moreover, the blogger has made public his intent to defame Timothy Jay Schwab, an action which has been reported for investigation.

This rebuttal is not written in response to the defamatory blogger’s accusations directly—for those hold no academic merit. Rather, it serves to aid honest scholars who may also struggle with interpreting older texts or 16th-century navigation references. Many of these misunderstandings stem from enduring colonial biases embedded in historiography, geography, and textual interpretation. We are living in a time when these inherited frameworks are being challenged and unraveled. Their dominance is not eternal—truth is rising to replace them.

In the introduction Tim says he has read both the primary and secondary sources, that is Cheock and Pinto, and they both say the same thing. He also says he is not writing in response to me but to correct scholars. As if scholars need correction from magazine publisher and non-expert Timothy Jay Schwab! 

The blogger claims this is 29°, and at face value in modern English that seems plausible. Indeed, there are scholars who pretend to read this without actually reading the full context ,in which that interpretation is impossible. However, when carefully read in 16th-century English, the phrase:

“scituated in nine and twenty degrees”

…could also be read to mean "between 9 and 20 degrees"—not 29°. This is evident in period navigational and geographic language. This is why when The God Culture reviewed this secondary source with an accurate reading of the primary source, it was validated honestly and accurately. As we wanted to shout out with a plug to a local Filipino author, we maintained the secondary source, because it remained accurate. Here's why the blogger's reading is flawed:

• "Nine and twenty degrees" is not the same as "twenty-nine degrees" (which would have to pass the test of the full context he does not bother with. Also, even if it is 29 degrees definitively, this is no issue. In that time, a giant island of the Philippines was illustrated on Portuguese maps and their extended paradigm between 7 and 30 degrees (list below). That giant island is Luzon and nothing else, and that still fits this context in every way. By the same sentence from Pinto, dimensions qualify such a large island, where Ryukyu or even Taiwan are far too small. See maps below).

• Scituated in nine and twenty suggests a range, much like “between” or “from...to”.

✅ Correct Historical Reading:

The Lequios are described as situated between 9° and 20° latitude (9N20 of Cheock's accurate reflection)—matching the central Philippines, especially Luzon to Visayas—not Ryukyu, which lies mostly above 24°, also fitting nothing in the rest of the passage the blogger failed to read as do many academics, in Colonial bias. This is further vetted by the rest of the data Pinto mentioned that the blogger ignores. 

In adding the understanding of Magellan and Columbus, we firmly know this is the accurate way to read this. In his notes, Magellan identified the Lequios Islands as the Philippines equated to Ophir and Tarshish, as did Pigafetta's Journal. Columbus created at least 2 maps with his brother in their own admission and these both identify the region of the Philippines as this ancient land of renown. 

This is the most important counterargument Tim has. 9 and 20 does not mean 29. It means somewhere between 9 and 20 degrees latitude. How more ad hoc can he be? It has been common in English to write numbers such as 23 as three and twenty. Here's a list of numbers from Shakespeare.

https://www.shakespeareswords.com/Public/LanguageCompanion/ThemesAndTopics.aspx?TopicId=26

Here is what Pinto wrote:

this Island of Lequios, scituated in nine and twenty degrees, is two hundred leagues in circuit, threescore in length, and thirty in bredth.

Pinto, pg. 188

Pinto does not locate the Lequios Islands BETWEEN 9 and 20 degrees but IN 9 AND 20 degrees. 9 and 20 is 29. To say otherwise is to re-write 16th and 17th century English. 

Now, let's map this out. 

https://i.sstatic.net/BqQTO.jpg

According to Tim  Pinto is saying he was somewhere between the Central Visayas and the middle of the ocean just above Luzon. How likely is it for a seasoned mariner such as Pinto to not know his location? How likely is it for such a man to be off by 11 degrees which is hundreds of miles if not more?

The issue is not did Tim accurately represent the secondary source. He did. J.G. Cheock writes that Pinto landed at 9N20.

In his journal he had the audacity to give details on Lequois, putting it in the latitude of 9N20 on a meridian similar to that of Japan. Given these directions, Lequois would be at the very heart of the Philippines. The story of his shipwreck on Lequios was deemed so outrageous that it was omitted from his book when it was first published.

Phoenicians in the Lands of Gold, pg. 11

However she is citing Rebecca Catz who does not write 9N20 but 29.

page 1,291 of epub

“This Ryukyu island is situated at twenty-nine degrees latitude.”

Excerpt From: Fernão Mendes Pinto. “The Travels of Mendes Pinto.” Apple Books. 

That's right. Along with everyone else in the world Rebecca Catz identifies the Lequios Islands with the Ryukyu Islands which are off the coast of Japan going towards China. In fact Ryukyu is Japanese for Liuqiu which is the Chinese name of the Lequios Islands.

Indeed, the name "Ryukyu" is simply the Japanese form of Liúqiú. Early modern Chinese sources also specifically called Okinawa (the largest of the Ryukyus) as "Greater Liuqiu" and Taiwan Island as the "Lesser Liuqiu".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liuqiu_(medieval)

According to Tim Rebecca Catz, the Japanese, and the Chinese are in dire need of his correction. 

Tim writes the following to justify Cheock's lie. 

J.G. Cheock, in Phoenicians in the Land of Gold, interprets Pinto’s location as 9°20′N, based on both Pinto’s own navigational narrative and corroborating sources from Barbosa, Pigafetta, and others. Cheock does not invent a number—she interprets the location based on:

• Portuguese route sequences

• Relative geographic references

• Common Southeast Asian coordinates (Philippine zone)

This is a scholarly interpretation consistent with:

• Barbosa describing the Lequios as gold traders (Ryukyu was not)

• Castanheda (1883) placing the Lequios southeast of China

• Pinto’s directional travel north from Malacca (Malaysia) toward the islands, placing him toward the central Philippines, not Okinawa.

So the God Culture quoting Cheock at 9°20′ was accurate to its source,  aligned with historical context, and accurate to Pinto's Primary Source, even the one used by the blogger, he can't seem to read. It was already read and affirmed upon publishing. The local author was preferred by our authors because she uncovered that truth, and deserved credit, which we continue to acknowledge. It is the only quote from Cheock used and we appreciate her work on this.

Two things to note here. First Tim says Cheock INTERPRETED Pinto's location as 9N20. That is not true. She is citing Rebecca Catz. Catz does not write 9N20 but 29 because that is what Pinto wrote. Rebecca Catz is not editing the older English translation but has written a brand new translation from the Portuguese. It is the original Portuguese text which says 29. 

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.a0005237771&seq=264&q1=lequia

Esta ilha léquia jaz situada em vinte & nove graos

Vinte & nove graos means 29 degrees. There is no room for interpreting this as a place between 20 and 9 degrees. Here is a modern Portuguese version:

Essa ilha léquia jaz situada em vinte e nove graus

https://fundar.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/peregrinacao-vol-ii.pdf pg. 53

Cheock straight up lied. Catz's plain English does not need interpretation. 29 is not 9N20.

Second of all Tim says he cited Cheock instead of Pinto because she is a Filipina! That is madness and once more showcases his poor methods. That is NOT good research in any sense of the word. He should have cited Pinto instead. Using primary sources is very important. But Tim doesn't give a flip. He will only use sources that prop up his claims. Pinto's journal smashes Tim's claims to bits.

Tim goes on to write that 9N20, which is gibberish and not an actual map location, is justified by the rest of Pinto's journal.

This is further vetted by the rest of the data Pinto mentioned that the blogger ignores. 

What Tim means is the size of the island. But it seems he hasn't read the rest of the book! Let me post it again:

First of all the story follows the healing of the King of Bungo's son. The King of Bungo was a Japanese Feudal Lord who had converted to Catholicism. Pinto then sails to a port in China.

I besought the King of Bungo to give me leave to go back, which he readily granted me, and with much acknowledgement of the curing of his Son he willed a Funce to be made ready for me, furnished with all things necessary, wherein commanded a man of quality, that was attended by twenty of the Kings ser∣vants, with whom I departed one Saturday morning from the City of Fucheo, and the Friday following about Sun-set I arrived at Tanixumaa, where I found my two Comrades, who received me with much joy. Here we continued fifteen days longer, till such time as the Junck was quite ready, and then we set Sail for Liampoo, which is a Sea-port of the Kingdom of China, whereof I have spoken at large heretofore, and where at that time the Portugals tra∣ded. Having continued our voyage with a prosperous wind, it pleased God that we arrived safe at our desired Port, where it is not to be believed how much we were welcome by the Inhabitants of the place.

Pinto, pg. 179

Liampoo is also known as Ningbo and is translated as Ning-po by Rebecca Catz. Pinto leaves Ningbo, China, and is promptly overcome by a storm and shipwrecked. He was absolutely not going north through the Malay Archipelago as Cheock and Timothy Jay Schwab claim. He was headed east out of the Chinese port with the intent of going south.

Thus by the means of this unreasonable desire of gain nine Juncks, which were then in the Port, were in fifteen days ready to set Sail, though to say the truth they were all in such disorder, and so unprovided, that some amongst them had no other Pilots then the Masters themselves, who had but little understanding in Navigation. In this bad order they departed all in company together one Sunday morning, not withstanding that they had the wind, the season, the sea, and all things else contrary, not suffer∣ing themselves to be guided by reason, or the consideration of the dangers which they are subject unto that commit themselves to this Element; For they were so obstinate and so blinded as they would not represent any inconvenience to themselves, and I my self was so infortunate, that I went along with them in one of their Vessels. In this manner they sailed all that same day as it were groping between the Islands and the firm Land, but about midnight there arose in the dark so mighty a Storm, accompanied with such horrible rain, that suffering themselves to be carried at the mercy of the wind, they ran upon the Sands of Gotom, whereof the nine Juncks two only, as it were by miracle, were saved, so that the other seven were lost out of which not so much as one man escaped. This loss was thought to amount unto above three hundred thousand Crowns in commodities, besides the greater, which was of six hundred persons that left their lives there, whereof there were an hundred and forty Portugals, all rich men, and of quality. As for the other two Juncks in one of the which by good hap I was, joyning in comfort together, they followed the course they had begun, until such time as they arrived at the Island of the Lequios;

Pinto, pg. 179-180

He describes the land and says the people rode on horseback. Where is there any account of Filipinos being horsemen?

Now as soon as it was day we perceived by the sight of the Island of fire, and of the Mountain of Taydacano, that the Land where we were was the great Lequio....

...until at last we were espyed by a boy that was keeping of cattel, who as soon as he had dis∣covered us, ran to the next Village, which was some quarter of a league off, for to give notice of it to the inhabitants there; who presently thereupon with the sound of Drums and Cornets assembled all their Neighbours round about them, so that within three or four hours they were a Company of about two hundred men, whereof there were fourteen on horsback.

pg. 180

In her translation of this text Rebecca Catz has this note for Island of fire:

“Fire Island: Cortesão says that Fire Island appears for the first time on Lopo Homem’s map of 1554 and that it corresponds to Nakano-shima or Suwanose-shima, two islands with active volcanoes. The former is described in Webster’s Geographical Dictionary (1966) as a volcanic island 3,215 feet high, Tokara Island, in north Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Suwanose-Shima is not listed. See Cortesão, Suma Oriental, 128–29 n. 2.” 

Fernão Mendes Pinto. “The Travels of Mendes Pinto," Translated by Rebecca Catz, pg. 2,323 epub

Pinto and his companions are tied up and taken to the town of Pungor. They are next taken to a town called Gundexilau and left to rot in a dungeon full of water and leeches. The next day they are brought back to Pungor and given a trial before a judge. They are accused of being pirates but they insist they are merchants. They are not believed and are left to rot in prison for two months.The king then sends a spy pretending to be a merchant to visit Pinto and his men to ask them how they ended up in Lequios. They repeat the same story and the spy reports back to the king. However a Chinese pirate arrives and testifies against Pinto and his men that they are indeed pirates who pose as merchants in order to conquer a country. The king believes the pirate and sentences Pinto and his men to death. 

By providence the man set to deliver this decree and make sure it was carried out lodged with his sister who was a widow. Staying with her was the wife and children of one of the prisoners. When she heard the decree she fainted and then scratched her face so hard that it bled. News of this got around to the women who wrote a letter to the Queen demanding that as an act of charity the foreigners be released. Through a further series of events including a prophetic dream Pinto and his men are released. Following that story is a description of Lequios for the express purpose of inspiring the Portuguese to conquer the island. 

In this manner we departed from Pungor the capital City of the Island of Lequios, of which I will here make a brief relation, to the end that if it shall one day please God to inspire the Portugal Nation, principally for the exaltation and increase of the Catholick faith, and next for the great benefit that may redound thereof, to undertake the Conquest of this Island, they may know where first to begin, as also the commodities of it, and the easiness of this Conquest. We must understand then that this Island of Lequios, scituated in nine and twenty degrees, is two hundred leagues in circuit, threescore in length, and thirty in bredth.

Pinto, pg. 188

https://thegodculturephilippines.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-god-culture-lequios-and-lucoes-are.html

No part of Pinto's story describes the Philippines. Is there a city in Luzon called Pungor? No. Was there ever a King of Pungor living anywhere in the Philippines? No. Also Pinto's route during which he was shipwrecked was eastward from China with the intent of going south. That means Tim's claim that Pinto was traveling north from Malacca when he was shipwrecked in the Lequios Islands is incorrect. 

Pinto’s directional travel north from Malacca (Malaysia) toward the islands, placing him toward the central Philippines, not Okinawa.

Since Tim claims he is familiar with Pinto's journal he should know this. Is Tim lying? Not if he didn't actually read that section of Pinto's journal. But he has said to even suggest he has not read his sources is to not speak truthfully so that only leaves one solution. 

Let's not forget Tome Pires differentiated between the Lequios and the Lucoes who live in Luzon. They are not the same people group. Are we really to believe Pinto mixed them up? How about the Spanish? Did they forget Luzon and the Lequios Islands are the same? 

Sixth: It is necessary, on the arrival of the said five hundred soldiers, at the said islands, to effect immediately the purpose for which they were brought—namely, to subjugate, settle, and explore both the said island of Luzon, and those regions nearest China: the Japans, the Lequios, and the island of Escauchu; this is a very important matter. It is necessary that your Majesty should send us workmen, masters to build ships and galleys, locksmiths, and blacksmiths to the number of fifty. For all of these workmen your Majesty, if he so please, could take the negro slaves whom your Majesty has on the fortifications of Habana, considering that the fortifications are finished now, and the men are no longer needed there.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044077731628&seq=304&q1=lequios 

Farther north than the aforesaid islands are others, the nearest to Luzon being called Xipon [S: Japan]. 

A little to the east between these islands and China are the islands of Lequios. They are said to be rich; but we have been unable to learn much about them, for I have not seen any one who has been there. For this reason I conclude that they must be small, and that the people are not much given to commerce.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044077731628&seq=206&q1=lequios

Tim expects us to believe everyone long ago was stupid and only he has figured out the true location of the Lequios Islands hundreds of years later. 

To say "situated in 9 and 20" means a range of latitudes rather than 29 degrees is quite a stretch and does not fit the data. It is transparently ad hoc nonsense. Thankfully at least we can peer a little more into the perverse and darkened mind of Timothy Jay Schwab to see how he is looking at his sources. 

Retards in the Government 455

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

 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2174643/6-manila-cops-held-for-alleged-hold-up-in-makati-city

Six police officers assigned to the Manila Police District (MPD) were arrested for allegedly holding up three victims in Makati City, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said.

The alleged incident took place along Arsonvel Street in Barangay San Isidro on Wednesday night, according to an initial police report.

The victims came from Malate, Manila and went to Arsonvel to pick up some belongings.

“However, when they arrived, a group of armed men suddenly pointed guns and forced [them] to lay down on the ground and tied [their] hands then forcibly took and carted away the victims’ belongings and fled afterward on board their motorcycles,” the police report explained.

Authorities later caught the suspects through a hot pursuit in operation and the victims positively identified them.

The police report identified the suspects as a staff sergeant and five patrolmen assigned to the MPD Police Station 9 Malate.

The six police officers were taken into the custody of the Makati City Police Station, awaiting criminal charges for robbery as well as administrative charges leading to dismissal from the service, NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin said in a statement to the Inquirer on Thursday morning.

Aberin also confirmed that he relieved the commander of the Malate police station as well as the entirety of the station’s Drug Enforcement Unit pending investigation into the six officers’ alleged hold-up.

In an interview in Camp Crame later on Thursday, Aberin said, “They are assigned to the MPD, but they crossed over to Makati, which is another district. We know that, if you have a police operation in another district or another station, there must be proper coordination and submit an operational clearance beforehand.”

“In this instance, there was none of that. They had no coordination. They had no operational clearance to operate in the Southern Police District’s area of responsibility,” he added. 

Six police officers assigned to the Manila Police District were arrested for allegedly holding up three victims in Makati City.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1268074

Three officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Pampanga's Second District were relieved from their posts for allegedly demanding commissions from projects.

In an interview Friday during the inspection of the Candating flood control project in Arayat, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the officials -- a maintenance section chief and two construction section engineers -- were accused of asking for up to 8 percent in project commissions.

Dizon said the officials have been suspended effective immediately pending a full investigation, and will be prosecuted if the allegations are proven.

"If the investigation shows that they are really asking [for commission], they will not only be removed, they will also be charged," he said.

He added that the move aims to send a strong signal to DPWH officials nationwide that the government is serious about cleansing the agency and enforcing a "one-strike" policy against corruption.

Dizon inspected the collapsed flood control project as part of the agency's ongoing technical assessment.

Based on initial findings by engineers from the DPWH Bureau of Design and expert recommendations, he said the construction of a retention basin to serve as a water reservoir could help prevent strong currents from directly hitting Candating and Cupang.

The DPWH will also study the permanent relocation of residents and determine the appropriate distance for a no-build zone in the area.

He said the agency will investigate those responsible for the project’s collapse, which posed risks to residents.

Three officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Pampanga's Second District were relieved from their posts for allegedly demanding commissions from projects.

https://mb.com.ph/2026/02/01/mtpb-traffic-enforcer-dismissed-after-extortion-video-goes-viral

A traffic enforcer from the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) was immediately dismissed from service an hour after a video showing him allegedly extorting money from a motorist went viral on social media.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno" Domagoso emphasized that the city government is strictly enforcing its "One Strike Policy" against corrupt personnel.

The mayor stressed that any city employee found to be involved in corruption will be promptly removed from service, adding that there is no room for dishonesty in the Manila local government.

Domagoso also reminded all city employees to remain faithful to their duties and uphold integrity in the performance of their responsibilities.

The city government continues to urge the public to report incidents of corruption and abuse to ensure swift action by concerned authorities.

A traffic enforcer from the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureauwas immediately dismissed from service an hour after a video showing him allegedly extorting money from a motorist went viral on social media.

https://mb.com.ph/2026/02/02/minglanilla-mayor-vice-mayor-councilors-suspended-one-year

Days after he refused the disposal of garbage from Cebu City, the mayor of Minglanilla town, Cebu province was suspended for one year.

A suspension order from the Office of the Ombudsman was served on Monday, Feb. 2, against Minglanilla Mayor Rajiv Enad, Vice Mayor Lani Peña, and members of the municipal council from the previous term.

Their suspension stemmed from an administrative case involving the alleged non-issuance of a permit.

The serving of the suspension went smooth as all the town officials received the written order in person at the municipal session hall.

When asked if the suspension had any connection to his public refusal to allow the use of a landfill in Minglanilla for Cebu City’s garbage, Enad clarified that the administrative case is separate and distinct from the recent discussions on solid waste management.

He explained that the case relates to municipal actions taken in response to safety concerns affecting residents of Sitio Napo in Barangay Guindarohan, where ground cracks were observed and assessed to pose potential landslide risks.

“Public service is not about convenience or self-preservation,” Enad said. “It is about making difficult decisions guided by what is right. Even when the consequences are personal, my responsibility is to stand by what protects the people I serve and to face these challenges through the proper legal process.”

The suspension stemmed from a complaint filed several years ago by private entities associated with the operator of the Minglanilla landfill. Local officials noted that multiple similar cases filed by the same group in the past had already been dismissed, with this case being the only remaining unresolved.

Enad declined to discuss the merits of the case in detail, stating that the issues involved are now properly addressed through legal channels.

He emphasized, however, that the municipal actions cited in the complaint were undertaken in the exercise of regulatory authority and with the primary objective of protecting public safety and the general welfare.

Enad was suspended days after he attended an emergency meeting on Jan. 22 at the Capitol convened by Gov. Pam Baricuatro, where officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), including Secretary Raphael Lotilla, as well as representatives from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), DENR-7, and Cebu City officials discussed Cebu City’s solid waste situation.

During the meeting, Minglanilla was identified as one of several areas being considered as a possible temporary option for waste disposal, a proposal the mayor publicly declined.

Municipal officials also noted that, during the presentation, reference was made to the existence of a pending administrative case involving the mayor, although it was unrelated to the subject matter of the meeting. Enad did not comment further on this point.

Enad reiterated that his refusal to host waste from outside the municipality was not intended to offend any party but was grounded on the municipality’s duty to protect its environment, water sources, and the welfare of its residents.

He underscored that he will respect the legal process and exhaust all remedies available under the law to address the suspension, while ensuring that municipal services remain uninterrupted for the people of Minglanilla.

While serving the suspension, Enad's wife, Councilor Lheslen will be acting mayor, with Councilor Mulot Laput stepping in as vice mayor.

"I respect the Office of the Ombudsman and the processes of our institutions," Enad stressed.

A suspension order from the Office of the Ombudsman was served on Monday, Feb. 2, against Minglanilla Mayor Rajiv Enad, Vice Mayor Lani Peña, and members of the municipal council from the previous term. Their suspension stemmed from an administrative case involving the alleged non-issuance of a permit.

https://mb.com.ph/2026/02/03/danao-city-village-chair-suspended-1-year-for-assaulting-2-peacekeepers

A barangay captain in Danao City, northern Cebu province was slapped with a one-year suspension for assaulting two barangay tanods or watchmen last year.

In a decision signed Dec. 5, 2025, the Office of the Ombudsman found Taboc Barangay Captain Celestino Durano Sybico III guilty of simple misconduct and oppression.

The incident happened during a meeting of barangay officials last April.

The complaint was filed on May 6, 2025 by then Danao Mayor Thomas Mark Durano. Sybico and Durano are first-degree cousins.

In his complaint, Durano accused Sybico of assaulting barangay tanods Jonaldo Castillo and Editho Mangas Jr. while they were serving a subpoena to resident Irene Casas.

In the complaint, Sybico “suddenly approached Castillo and Mangas in an agitated manner.”

Castillo's uniform was torn and was kicked and punched in the lower hip.

The complaint also stated that the respondent struck Mangas with a mineral water bottle on his right shoulder.

Sybico denied the allegations, describing that the complaint was a mere hearsay and politically motivated. He said the tanods were not wearing uniforms and only approached them to verify their identities and check if they were carrying weapons.

Durano said he filed the complaint to protect the community from abuses of authority.

The Ombudsman dismissed the administrative complaint against Sybico for violating Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials).

The Ombudsman said failure to abide by the norms of conduct under Section 4 of RA No. 6713 is not a ground for administrative disciplinary action. It, however, found substantial evidence for misconduct and oppression, noting that the barangay officials “wrongfully inflicted bodily harm against Castillo and Manga."

A barangay captain in Danao City, northern Cebu province was slapped with a one-year suspension for assaulting two barangay tanods or watchmen last year.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2177218/surigao-del-sur-mayor-safe-after-gun-attack

Barobo, Surigao del Sur Mayor Ronito Martizano, 60, survived an ambush at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, police said.

Police Maj. Alexis Avenido, acting Barobo police chief, said the incident occurred in Barangay Causwagan as the mayor was leaving Sitio Panaraga in Barangay Gamut.

A car reportedly blocked their path, and gunmen opened fire on Martizano’s van. Avenido added that the suspects immediately fled toward San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.

An aide of Martizano told a local radio station in San Francisco that the mayor is safe and is being treated at a local hospital. Avenido has ordered a pursuit operation for the suspects and a thorough investigation into the possible motives of the attack.

The assassination attempt came barely a week after Martizano ordered the dismantling of equipment used in illegal tunnel mining operations allegedly run by Chinese financiers. 

Surigao del Sur Mayor Ronito Martizano, 60, survived an ambush.

Coronavirus Lockdown: Seafarer's Career, GDP Growth Sinks, and More!

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

The state-run Philippine Institute for Development Studies says the Philippine pandemic recovery remains uneven as lingering scars from the 2020 health crisis continue to drag on corporate profits and employment.

https://mb.com.ph/2026/01/26/philippines-face-pandemic-scars-as-corporate-profits-jobs-languish

The Philippine pandemic recovery remains uneven as lingering scars from the 2020 health crisis continue to drag on corporate profits and employment, according to a study by the state-run Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

In a Jan. 20 discussion paper titled “Liquidity amid Lockdowns: Corporate Performance in the Philippines during the Global Pandemic,” researchers from PIDS highlighted that the health crisis triggered an unprecedented economic contraction—the steepest in Southeast Asia—after strict lockdowns beginning in March 2020 disrupted business activity. The measures led to revenue losses, closures, and widespread layoffs.

The report, authored by Marianne J. Rodriguez, John Paolo R. Rivera, Ivan Cenon V. Bernardo, Ramona Maria L. Miral, and Mark Gerald C. Ruiz, found that mandatory business closures significantly hurt corporate revenues. Firms that experienced full-year shutdowns saw annual income drop by about 65 percent, or roughly 5.4 percent for every month of closure.

PIDS said that liquidity-constrained firms experienced even larger declines, indicating that limited cash reserves reduced their ability to withstand prolonged closures.

While many firms eventually resumed operations, PIDS noted that revenues were often insufficient to justify rehiring or expanding workforces, with employment bearing much of the adjustment.

The think tank suggested this could reflect two scenarios: firms may have cut jobs to protect profit margins, or employment reductions may represent a post-pandemic adjustment to optimal workforce levels due to sectoral shifts and new business models that emerged during the crisis.

The study highlighted that non-tradable and non-essential firms suffered the sharpest declines in revenue, profits, and overall financial health, illustrating the uneven impact of lockdowns and demand shocks across sectors.

To mitigate such effects, PIDS stressed the importance of targeted, sector-specific support during crises. Firms in non-tradable, non-essential sectors—hardest hit by mobility and operational restrictions—require tailored liquidity assistance, wage support, or conditional grants rather than blanket interventions that primarily benefit less-affected firms.

Improving credit access for financially constrained firms was another key recommendation. PIDS suggested measures such as targeted loan moratoria, tax relief, lower policy rates, emergency lending facilities, and expanded collateral frameworks. Broader access to working capital and supplier financing can also help bridge liquidity gaps during future downturns.

Job losses hit mostly non-tradable sectors, while tradable firms raised compensation. PIDS stressed the need for targeted safety nets, labor mobility, reskilling, and digitalization to help firms weather future shocks.

As for sector and firm type, PIDS called on financial firms to ensure continued intermediation and liquidity provision during crises, while urging non-financial firms to prioritize boosting liquidity, adopting digital solutions, and taking advantage of tax deferrals.

Financially constrained firms were encouraged to expand access to collateral-free credit, supplier financing, and emergency grants. For financially unconstrained firms, PIDS recommended incentives for reinvestment in labor and innovation, such as matching grants or retooling subsidies.

The study offered sector-specific guidance: tradable firms should focus on facilitating trade and export incentives while ensuring logistics continuity, whereas non-tradable firms should aim to stimulate local demand through consumption incentives and mobility-safe business models.

Ultimately, PIDS concluded that a segmented, evidence-based approach can better align fiscal policies, financial regulation, and central banking measures, promoting a more inclusive and resilient recovery. This ensures that macroeconomic stability does not come at the expense of smaller firms, allowing both large companies and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to access tailored support for growth.

Well, if that sounds bad take a look at the recent GDP report for the 4th quarter of 2025. GDP has sunk to a post-pandemic low. 

https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/01/29/2504334/philippine-gdp-growth-sinks-post-pandemic-low-q4-2025-due-corruption-scandal

The Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) hit a record low of 3.0% in the fourth quarter of 2025—its lowest quarterly growth since 2009, excluding the pandemic years.

This brings the country’s annual GDP growth to 4.4%, well below the government’s target of 5.5% to 6.5%.

While analysts had already predicted that the Philippines would fail to meet its GDP target, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan admitted that the economic slump was still sharper than expected.

Balisacan admitted that the massive corruption scam in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had affected business and consumer confidence.

“While these developments weighed on short-term growth, the Marcos Administration emphasizes that the investigations into the flood control corruption controversy had to be undertaken,” Balisacan said in a press conference.

“The resulting measures and governance reforms are necessary to strengthen accountability, improve project quality, ensure better value for scarce public resources, and build our capacity for faster and more sustainable growth in the years ahead,” he added.

Other factors that further weighed down the country’s economy were the adverse effects of natural hazards, as well as global uncertainties.

The industry sector suffered a sharp decline in the fourth quarter of 2025, shrinking to -0.9%, bringing the annual growth rate to 1.5%.

Balisacan again attributed this to the decrease in construction projects. Construction activity in the country slowed following the DPWH scandal, with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon halting locally funded projects after the flood control scam.

Despite the sizable decline, Balisacan emphasized that a slowed economy is still preferable to allowing corruption to persist in the name of short bursts of growth. Reforms, he said, are key to sustainable and inclusive growth.

“We need to regain trust as quickly as possible,” Balisacan said, adding that legislative proposals such as an Anti-Political Dynasty measure, the Party-List System Reform Act, and others would help restore public confidence.

Balisacan said that 2026 must be the rally point, expressing optimism that Philippine GDP growth may see a turnaround as early as the second quarter of 2026.

The decrease in construction projects?  They are doing their hardest to blame all the recent losses on the flood control corruption scandal. It may be true but the corruption has been ongoing for years.  So, how is that possible?  Because everyone has finally acknowledged it? 

One seafarer had his life upended by the pandemic. 

https://mb.com.ph/2026/01/31/how-the-pandemic-changed-a-seafarers-career

It was in the middle of May 2020 when, out of the blue, the ship that was a "home" to a Filipino seafarer became a fearful and uncomfortable ground. A place where a workday passes by shifted to a setting of long nights.

The Covid-19 pandemic was declared, and around the world, countries closed their borders. For seafarers like Joelex Segui, 35, from Camarines Sur, it meant that work stopped. And going home became a series of mandatory quarantine periods before he would be allowed entry into a country, his hometown, and finally, into his own barangay.

Working on a ship made him used to having an ample supply of food and necessities, but when he was under quarantine, food security did not bring him comfort, as the fear of contracting the virus while under isolation would constantly kick in.

What used to be a joyful work became an agonizing wait. The laughter shared with his fellow-crewmen slowly died down, only to be replaced by deafening silence, each locked in troubling worry for loved ones back home.

 “It was dull, sad, and frightening. While cases of Covid-19 continued to rise, we were away from our families. We want to get back home immediately because we were worried for our families,” Segui said.

After two months of quarantine, and while preparing to disembark in July 2020, he was finally heading home with thoughts of being able to see his then two-year-old daughter.

But his most-awaited reunion with his daughter had to wait for more weeks as he had to undergo multiple quarantines from a hotel, to a barangay facility, to a local government facility after coming home from Malaysia—a lengthy process every overseas Filipino had to go through during those times.

First, he had to stay for eight days in a hotel in Manila for the mandatory quarantine before finally being sent back to his hometown after testing negative for the disease. But the expected merry-making with his family upon arriving home never happened, as he had to stay for yet another quarantine in their barangay facility.

Unending isolation

Unlike in the ship, in hotels in Malaysia and Manila, quarantine in their village was uncomfortable.

He opted to stay alone in a nipa hut near the quarantine buildings in hopes that it would be a little more comfortable. His father had to fix the damaged parts of the nipa hut so that when it rains, it won’t drip inside.

His family made sure to prepare what he needed, handed over his food through the door, and gave him comfort from a distance.

Everything was well until his ninth day in the nipa hut. He was suddenly having a hard time breathing. It was also on that same day that one of his colleagues, with whom he had close contact before leaving Manila, tested positive for the disease. 

“It was frightening, anxious. I saw my daughter every day. I thought, we’re almost there. I can finally hug you after almost 12 months. But what if I’m also infected?” Segui said.

On his 10th day of quarantine in the nipa hut, he was transferred to their local government facility located three kilometers away from their home, taking him away from his family once again. 

He had to be isolated along with 13 other patients within the site. All have tested positive for the disease.

The waiting time continued. It was only two weeks later that his swab test result came in, and he tested negative for the disease.

Farewell seafaring

Five years later, this memory remains vivid for Segui. He survived quarantine and the dreaded pandemic. After a long journey back home — 90 days of being in quarantine—he reunited with his family, and even the sea when restrictions finally eased.

But his return to seafaring post-pandemic actually became his closure to his years of being a seafarer.

"After the pandemic, things were okay. I was able to go back on board once. But after that, I didn't go back because I realized many things," Segui shared.

The anxiety and fear that took over during the pandemic were pivotal to his decision to end his career.

"It was scary, what if it happened again? There were thoughts like that. Then my wife and I agreed that I would no longer work on ships. I just stayed here in the Philippines, and I'm now based here," Segui revealed.

He is currently working as a virtual assistant (VA). He recognized that after seafaring, it was difficult to shift into another job.

"That’s what I do now because I still need a job. What’s difficult here is that if you’re a seafarer, it’s hard to get another job—unless you have skills like being a VA or similar," he said.

'You always have to be ahead'

If there's one thing that the pandemic left him with, it was to be prepared for anything that could happen, stressing the need to have plans so he can be ahead of any eventuality.

He realized that relying on the government to recover from a past setback can be difficult.

"Lesson? Maybe you should have insurance. Or you should be ready for anything that could happen. You always need to be ahead," Segui said.

"You have to have plans, because it’s hard if you rely on the government to help you recover from a past setback," he stressed.

The strict pandemic quarantines kept him isolated for 90 days!  90 days!! And instead of keeping him safe it traumatized the poor man and caused him to quit being a seafarer and work as a virtual assistant.