Saturday, May 2, 2026

The God Culture: Hijacked Review

Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture has finally released his book Hijacked as a free download. Whereas previously only the introduction was able to be reviewed now the contents of the book can be properly analyzed. 

https://thegodculture.org/amazon-internatioonal-links/


The first thing to note is Tim's writing style which he calls "a fast, prophetic pulse."


THE PROPHETIC PULSE
Written in a fast, prophetic pulse — every line
intentional, every revelation sharp — this book
dismantles the corrupted empire and awakens the
remnant far the days now unfolding. 
This tone is not aggression - it is urgency.
It confronts systems, not people, and speaks with 
the clarity these times demand.

That means Tim has basically written an outline, essentially a series of bulleted assertions. There are no notes. Tim's previous books Solomon's Gold and Rest: The Case for Sabbath had many notes. The choice to have zero footnotes is not explained. This shift is significant because it moves the work from the realm of debate into the realm of dogma. By removing citations, Tim places the burden of proof on the reader and bypasses the standard process of historical verification.

The book is exactly what I surmised it would be. 
All the themes of The God Culture are present in this description. Infiltration, deception, cover-up, and restoration of the truth in the last days. And don't forget the old canard about Constantine creating Christianity. All of this nonsense has been debunked not only on this blog but by many other men for the past almost 2,000 years now. There is absolutely nothing in this book Tim has not covered before. Therefore in order to review this book I shall have to find something new no matter how small it might be lest this review be a repetition of points already thoroughly debunked.  

https://thegodculturephilippines.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-god-culture-hijacked-how-synagogue.html

While there is no new ground covered in this book there are many of the same errors. In this review only a few of these errors will be examined. 

The first error concerns Abraham Farissol.

pg. 40

Ferisol, the Italian Jewish scholar

Ferisol recorded in the early 1500s that:

The Lost Tribes migrated to the “isles of the sea” 

They landed in the “desert of the Philippines”

A shocking confirmation from an independent source.

The only thing shocking here is that Tim brazenly and deceptively claims Abraham Farissol (he even spells the name wrong!) who died in 1525 claimed the Lost Tribes "landed in the desert of the Philippines" in a book he published in 1524!  The Philippines wasn't even called the Philippines until 1543 by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos!! This claim is so manifestly false it is unbelievable Tim would put this in his book. Did The God Culture Research Team approve of this insertion? Chapter 14 of Farissol's book Iggeret Orhot Olam in which he discusses the location of the Lost Tribes can be read in an English translation at this link. Take note that to this day Tim has yet to cite an actual word from Farissol and has instead relied on secondhand sources. 

Likewise the claim that the Philippines has an arid desert region is also a blatant lie. 

pg. 39


Though tropical, the Philippines contains a documented arid desert region in northwest Luzon — an anomaly noted even in pre-colonial accounts.

Tim is referring here to the La Paz Sand Dunes on the coast of Northern Luzon. The La PazSand Dunes are not an arid desert area! Those dunes receive the same amount of precipitation as the rest of Luzon.

The La Paz Sand Dunes are in Laoag which receives an average of 85 inches of rain per year. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laoag#Climate

Does the La Paz Sand Dunes somewhow avoid all that rain? Of course not. That is by no means or any definition a desert. Colloquially one might call the dunes a desert because they are a large sandy area but they really are not a desert. Read more here.

Tim repeats the lie that the Spanish destroyed Filipino records in a bid to erase their history. 

pg. 43



The truth was inconvenient to colonial powers.

Thus they:

destroyed or buried Filipino records (that is not up for debate as they document Filipinos could read and write, yet no such documents have survived - NONE)
 rewrote journals
 altered maps (very blatant corruptions by the Jesuits especially)

 purged indigenous history
substituted false narratives
eliminated local chronicles
 controlled academic discourse (demonizing all mentions of actual history)

And today:

 Wikipedia continues the same suppression

Their Talk Page on their fraudulent “Ophir” article openly states:
 “Watch out for the Filipinos...”
 “Block them before they edit...”
“Remove Philippine claims.” (which evidence we have from Wayback Machine)

A blatant violation of their own policies.
A modern continuation of colonial erasure. Shame on Wikipedia.

I have written about this false claim at length. The gist is Filipinos wrote on perishable sources like banana leaves which is why no early writings survive. According to Father Chirino there were no local written histories! Filipino society was largely oral. 

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=miun.afk2830.0001.040&view=1up&seq=73&q1=history


It is not found that these nations had anything written about their religion or about their government, or of their old-time history. All that we have been able to learn has been handed down from father to son in tradition, and is preserved in their customs; and in some songs that they retain in their memory and repeat when they go on the sea, sung to the time of their rowing, and in their merrymakings, feasts, and funerals, and even in their work, when many of them work together. In those songs are recounted the fabulous genealogies and vain deeds of their gods. 

Aside from that the Jesuits preserved Baybayin. Why would they do that if they wanted to erase pre-Spanish Filipino history? A full rebuttal of Tim's lie that the Spanish destroyed ancient Filipino documents can be read  at this link

Tim's claims about Wikipedia shows he still does not know how that website works. They persevere every single edit of every single page so one can view a page at various stages of its creation. They aren't hiding anything. 

Did you know that Constantine the Great was a Pharisee and his mother was a Jew? No? Well that's because neither of those claims is true yet Tim includes them in this book. 


pg. 145



4. CONSTANTINE: A PHARISEE ON THE THRONE?

This is the turning point most historians avoid.

A legitimate early tradition (Actus Silvestri, 5th century) records that:
 Helena, mother of Constantine, was of Jewish descent.
 Her background matches her name, birthplace, social affiliations, and political positioning.
 No scholarly consensus exists because the implication is explosive.

When combined with:
 Constantine’s inherited “Flavian” nomen (through the adopted Flavian line likely descending from Josephus),
 his role as Pontifex Maximus,
 and his lifelong allegiance to Mithraism — a Persian Farsee/Pharisee religion —

we see a pattern:

 Constantine was a hybrid figure — Roman by position, Pharisaic by bloodline and ideology.

There's a lot wrong here. First of all the bullet point nature, i.e fast prophetic pulse, of the text can be plainly seen. Tim makes a whole lot of claims here and offers ZERO proof for them. Not even a footnote or a reference. That puts the burden on the reader. The Acts of Sylvester is:

The Acts of Sylvester (Latin: Actus Silvestri) are a series of legendary tales about the fourth-century bishop of RomeSylvester I.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Sylvester

Tim sure loves citing legendary tales as sources of his teaching. As for the claim that Helena was a Jew by birth, that is absolutely false. 

The third section narrates a dispute between Sylvester and twelve Jewish representatives and is the main focus of the second book. Canella notes that details vary across all three versions (A, B, and C) of the ActusHelena, the mother of Constantine, had converted to Judaism and wrote a letter to her son to applaud his conversion from paganism but urged him to follow the true god of the Jews. Constantine proposes a contest between the Jews and Pope Sylvester, which claimed to have taken place in Rome on 15 March 315; the year 315 corresponds to the time that Constantine and Licinius were both in their fourth terms as consuls:

Constantino itaque Augusto et Licinio quater consulibus idibus martiis facta est congregatio chrictianorum et ludaeorum in urbe Roma.

Sylvester triumphs over the twelve, which Canella states are 'chosen from among rabbis, law experts, scribes and masters of the synagogue'. In the final confrontation, a Jew by the name of Zambri shows the power of the Jewish god by saying the secret name of Yahweh into the ear of a bull, brought there specifically for this demonstration, which immediately dies. Sylvester, not to be outdone, proves the superiority of the Christian god by invoking the name of Jesus and resurrects the bull. Amazed by the power of the Christian god, Helen, the philosopher judges Crato and Zenophilus, and three thousand Jews convert to Christianity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Sylvester

Where did Tim get the notion that Helena was a Jew by birth? It can't be from this article nor can it be from the Acts themselves nor can it be from any history about Helena. According to the Acts Helena converted to Judaism, her son proposed a contest between Pope Sylvester and the Jews, Sylvester won, and Helena converted to Christianity where she subsequently became one of its most famous saints. Was this lie approved by The God Culture Research Team? It's errors like this which prove either there is no God Culture Research Team or they are the most incompetent bunch of researchers ever assembled.

Finally, we arrive at Hijacked's central lie: the Church is not Israel. 


pg. 62


Many rightly reject “Replacement Theology” that claims “the Church replaces Israel.”


pg. 63

The greatest identity theft in history is not that “the Church replaced Israel,” but that Biblical Israel has been HIJACKED by those Messiah Himself identified—and warned us to expose.


pg. 198



3. Prophecy ends with restoration, not defeat.

Israel (the true dispersed tribes) returns.

And there it is. The Church is not the Israel of God. 

Galatians 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

The Israel of God are Kurds, Filipinos, and Negros. In the introduction on page 5 Tim writes: 

This work is not written to exalt any ethnicity or political power, for Israel was never a nation defined by bloodline or modern statehood. From the beginning, the People of Covenant were marked by obedience and faith not by race, geography, or lineage. The Exodus included a “mixed multitude.” and the covenant law was given equally to the native-born and the foreigner who sojourned among them (Numbers & 14; 15:26, 29; Exodus 12:19, 18-49; Leviticus 16:29; 17:12; 18:26; 19:34). Israel was, and remains, a people of covenant: gathered by belief, dispersed through disobedience, and redeemed through Messiah—an expectation held by Old and New Testament believers alike.

Our intent is to restore the true entity of the covenant people—those who walked in faith and covenant hope, whether descended from Jacob or grafted in among them—and to expose the errors of those who have HIJACKED that heritage for ethnic or political gain. Such claims ccho the very impostors condemned by the prophets and by Messiah Himself. This restoration is not racial: it is covenantal, prophetic, and spiritual.

"This restoration is not racial," writes Tim and yet the whole book is about the alleged migrations of the Lost Tribes to the North where they became Kurds, to the East where they became Filipinos, and to the Southwest where they became Hamitic Negroes. Tim ends by saying 

Israel (the true dispersed tribes) returns.

That is 100% racial!

The fact is this book is more of the same nonsense. It's abysmal writing style which is assertive bullet points with no notes and no proper discussion of the claims renders it even more unreliable. It's as if a student turned in his notations instead of a properly written thesis. Hijacked is simply another waste of time and paper meant to ensnare undiscerning Filipino readers into the world of lies of Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture.

Friday, May 1, 2026

Retards in the Government 467

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

 


https://mb.com.ph/2026/04/25/6-cops-charged-over-detention-of-lady-mining-protester-in-mati-city

Six police officers are facing cases in the City of Mati, Davao Oriental over the detention of a woman during a confrontation against mining operations last year.

The arbitrary detention and unlawful arrest cases – copies of which were obtained by the Manila Bulletin – were filed by Claridel Cellona-Lincoln, a resident of Barangay Macambol in the City of Mati, before the city prosecutor’s office after lawmen allegedly detained her from June 28, 2025 to July 3, 2025 after the incident.

Charged were then Davao Oriental Provincial Police Office chief Police Col. Julius Silagan, then Mati City Police Station chief Police Major Anthony Gumban, Police Major Cirelo Solana, Police Master Sgt. May Ponce, Police Master Sgt. Aiza Cablinda, and Police Corporal Katrina Jayson.

Lincoln recounted in her affidavit that Barangay Macambol Chairman Cireno Salazar and fellow barangay officials arrived at the barricade site within her property in Purok Casinihan.

Salazar was accompanied by Silagan, who brought about 100 armed police officers, including some members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), according to Lincoln.

“We regulated the passage of heavy vehicles on our private road. But more or less 100 policemen swooped down on our property without warrant and dismantled our bamboo pole and forcefully entered my house by the street and unlawfully arrested me and my companions Bryan Codilla and Donars Narisma,” Lincoln said in her affidavit filed on April 21.

Lincoln, along with local fisherfolk, barricaded a portion of the road leading to the nickel mining site of Hallmark Mining Corp. in Barangay Macambol on June 26, 2025.

She, along with members of the Davao Oriental Pujada Landscape Eco-Tourism Association, Farmer, Fisherfolks, Family, and Friends (Dapubleta F4), were protesting the alleged inaction of the mining company on their request to address damages to their livelihood allegedly due to landslide from the mine site.

They justified the barricade by prohibiting vehicles owned by the mining firm from entering.

Police confronted the protesters and insisted that the road should be cleared following an order from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Silagan said that he was ordered by then Philippine National Police chief Police Gen. Nicolas Torre III to implement the clearing operation.

But protesters insisted that police do not have any warrant or court order to implement road clearing operations in a private property.

As residents refused to dismantle the barricade, police told residents to challenge their action before the court.

Police and barangay peacekeepers dismantled the barricade and forcibly took Lincoln and her colleagues.

Videos of the confrontation circulated in social media last year, including police officers entering the house and kicking a door inside a house after Lincoln locked herself inside the room.

Glocelito Jayma, counsel of Cellona and protesters, said police filed cases against Lincoln and her colleagues but were eventually dismissed by a local court in October last year.

"It took us few months to formally charge the police because we waited for the disobedience case filed by the police to be dismissed," Jayma said.

The cases were dismissed after barangay officials and the police failed to show proof that the dirt road was part of the provincial road network or donated to the government for public use.

Thus, the arrest and detention were unlawful since the landowner has the right over the land where the road is located, Jayma said.

Jayma added that his client did not commit any crime. The lawyer also disclosed that they have lodged an administrative complaint before the National Police Commission and are awaiting an update from the agency.

“There is no legal basis to the arrest conducted by the police on such day because I have done nothing illegal and I committed no crime,” Lincoln stated in her affidavit. “I can say that because of what we have done in setting up a boom or bamboo pole gate in our private road inside our private land at Purok Casanihan.”

Police Regional Office-11 spokesperson police Major Catherine dela Rey was asked for a statement on April 23 on the case but she has yet to respond.

Six police officers are facing cases in the City of Mati, Davao Oriental over the detention of a woman during a confrontation against mining operations last year.

https://mb.com.ph/2026/04/27/coa-flags-doh-over-p693-m-expired-expiring-medicines

The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged almost P217 million worth of expired medicines in the medical inventory of the Department of Health (DOH).

That is as of Dec. 31 last year and COA, in its Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM), said P476.5 million more are set to expire.

“These figures suggest that procurement planning and inventory management could be further refined to prevent overlocking. The volume of near-expiry medicines also presents a risk that supplies may lapse before reaching beneficiaries,” COA states in its report.

“This situation impacts the timely distribution of medical resources and could lead to the inefficient use of government funds,” it added.

COA earlier flagged DOH for inventory deficiencies, including delays in recording and lack of documentation on the movement of medicines.

The report also raised questions about whether demand was properly assessed and whether the volume matched actual needs. 

In the same report, COA said it recommended to DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa to require agency heads to implement a more stringent timeline and closely monitor the disposal of expired drugs, medicines and medical supplies to prevent delays and minimize storage cost. 

At the same time, it recommended efficiency in distribution through timely coordination with concerned programs/units, as well as prioritization of the distribution of expiring medicines and to determine the specific causes of the expired stocks.

The Commission on Audit has flagged almost P217 million worth of expired medicines in the medical inventory of the Department of Health.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday said prosecutors have secured the conviction of a former Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) employee in Zamboanga City for multiple counts of money laundering, following complaints filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council Secretariat (AMLCS).

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Mary Jane Sytat, along with AMLC legal officers lawyers Charlemagne Tambo and Claudine Joy Gonzales handled the cases for direct bribery, robbery with intimidation, and violation of Republic Act (RA) 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act filed before the Prosecutor's Office in Zamboanga City.

The Zamboanga City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 12 convicted BIR Revenue Officer IV Flora Sarau Albao of Revenue District No. 93A of BIR Zamboanga City, for violations of Sections 4(a) and 4(b) of RA 9160 (Anti-Money Laundering Act).

Albao was apprehended in an entrapment operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in 2022 for extorting PHP500,000 from a certain Ms. Ledesma.

The NBI and AMLC later found Albao maintained 36 bank accounts across four banks.

As a Revenue Officer IV with an equivalent pay of Salary Grade 19, Albao’s monthly income was PHP49,835, with an annual income equivalent to PHP598,020, yet she deposited an average of PHP93,000 from May to August 2022, which is more than double her salary during that period.

"Public office demands a higher standard of accountability and integrity. Those entrusted with the privilege to serve must not only perform with excellence but also uphold the highest degree of candor in all their dealings —this is the benchmark that our Bagong Pilipinas government will never compromise,” Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said.

The RTC Branch 12 sentenced Albao to seven to 13 years of imprisonment for the first six money laundering cases with a PHP3-million fine for each count, and four to six years of imprisonment for the remaining six money laundering cases with a PHP1.5-million fine for each count, to be served successively.

The Department of Justice said prosecutors have secured the conviction of a former Bureau of Internal Revenue employee in Zamboanga City for multiple counts of money laundering, following complaints filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council Secretariat.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1273796

Two Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairpersons in Makati City have been suspended after being found guilty of misconduct by the city’s Sangguniang Panlungsod, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced on Monday.

Remulla said complaints will also be filed against the two SK officials before the Office of the Ombudsman, noting with concern that corruption appears to have reached even affluent villages.

In a press briefing, Remulla said the SK chairperson of Barangay Dasmariñas was suspended for six months for allegedly demanding a 20-percent kickback from a supplier for a Halloween project. The official was also accused of submitting an SK resolution bearing the falsified signature of the SK secretary.

Meanwhile, the SK chairperson of Barangay Magallanes was suspended for three months for allegedly submitting documents with forged signatures, including that of an SK kagawad (councilor) who was reportedly abroad at the time. The official admitted the documents were not personally signed but claimed prior consent had been given.

Remulla emphasized that cases will be pursued regardless of a barangay’s status.

“Wala po kaming sinisino. Maliit man o mayaman na barangay (We do not discriminate, whether it is a small or wealthy barangay),” he said.

Two Sangguniang Kabataan chairpersons in Makati City have been suspended after being found guilty of misconduct by the city’s Sangguniang Panlungsod, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced on Monday.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2219550/pnp-2-cops-relieved-for-traffic-violation-in-manila

A patrolman driving a police vehicle and his immediate superior, a police major, were administratively relieved from their posts for a supposed traffic violation in Manila, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) had summoned the two police officers after they were seen transporting two wooden pushcarts protruding from the back of their vehicle.

In response, in a briefing in Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said, “Starting yesterday… They were administratively relieved from their posts undergoing pre-charge investigation pending completion of the investigation.”

He did not immediately name both officers.

Assigned at the Moriones Police Station, the two officers were making the rounds in their area of responsibility last April 16 confiscating road obstructions, including the two wooden pushcarts, Tuaño explained.

When the two officers decided to instead deliver the confiscated road obstructions to the Manila City Hall for the bigger storage space, they were caught on video plying Asuncion Street near Lakandula Street, transporting the two wooden carts at the back of their vehicle.

“Our PNP personnel’s intentions were good because they were confiscating obstructions from public places,” Tuaño said.

“But, the way the obstructions were transported, this is what we call a dangerous load,” he added.

Tuaño further noted that the LTO had preventively suspended the patrolman’s driver’s license.

According to the LTO’s show cause order for the two officers, they are expected to appear before the transport agency at their Quezon City office and explain the incident on Wednesday.

A patrolman driving a police vehicle and his immediate superior, a police major, were administratively relieved from their posts for a supposed traffic violation in Manila.


Two active police officers and four other individuals were arrested for allegedly illegally transporting P290,000 worth of suspected mineral ores in Misamis Oriental, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.

The six suspects were caught aboard an Isuzu L300 at a checkpoint in Sitio Mahayahay in Barangay Limonda, Opol town late Monday afternoon, according to a police report from the Police Regional Office Northern Mindanao (PRO 10).

It identified the two active police officers as a police senior master sergeant with the alias “Gerry,” 47; and a police staff sergeant with the alias “Jefferson,” 37, both of whom were assigned to the Monkayo municipal police.

Meanwhile, the four others were identified with the aliases “Regine,” 46; “Nerie,” 33; “Jesson,” 32; and “Francisco,” 46.

“Upon inspection, the team observed in plain view that sacks of alleged mineral ores were placed behind the passenger seat of the vehicle,” PRO 10 explained.

“The individuals on board failed to present any pertinent documents to support the transport of the alleged mineral ores, which led to their apprehension,” it added.

The police did not immediately say where the mineral ore had come from and where it was headed; nor detailed how the four civilians were involved.

Authorities recovered 58 sacks of suspected unprocessed minerals as well as the two police officers’ service firearms with four magazines and sixty pieces of live ammunition.

All six suspects were taken into the custody of the Opol municipal police, awaiting cases for violating Republic Act No. 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act.

In a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Tuesday, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said the agency’s chief, Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., had ordered the two implicated police officers to be relieved from their posts.

“They were caught in Misamis Oriental, but the two officers are assigned in Region 11, at the Monkayo Municipal Police Station. So, it’s out of their jurisdiction,” Tuaño noted. 

“It appears they are giving protection while the mineral ore is being transported,” he added.

Two active police officers and four other individuals were arrested for allegedly illegally transporting P290,000 worth of suspected mineral ores in Misamis Oriental.

https://mb.com.ph/2026/04/28/marikina-city-hall-employees-arrested-in-entrapment-over-permit-related-complaint

Two city hall employees in Marikina were arrested in an entrapment operation conducted by the local government in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Barangay Fortune on Monday, April 27.

In a statement, the city government said the suspects, both administrative aides, were apprehended while inside a government-issued vehicle and are now under police custody.

The operation was carried out following a complaint from a businessman over alleged unauthorized collection linked to permit processing.

Police said marked money was recovered during the operation.

The local government said it immediately coordinated with the PNP to act on the complaint and conduct an intelligence-driven entrapment operation.

The city government reiterated its policy against abuse of authority and said appropriate action will be taken against those involved.

Two city hall employees in Marikina were arrested in an entrapment operation conducted by the local government in coordination with the Philippine National Police.

San Pablo, Laguna Mayor Arcadio Gapangada Jr. filed malversation and graft complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against Vice Mayor Justin Colago over the alleged payment of salaries to around 200 "ghost" employees.

Gapangada said Monday the complaint was based on an investigation into alleged payroll irregularities in the Office of the Vice Mayor, where individuals were listed as employees but allegedly did not actually receive their salaries.

"They are not the ones receiving the natural salary that other people are receiving the salary and this was done by deceiving them," Gapangada told reporters.

The complaint alleged that Colago certified and signed documents used for the processing and release of wages, including the daily time records (DTRs), accomplishment reports, and corresponding payrolls.

Gapangada cited daily time records (DTRs) and accomplishment reports covering Oct. 1 to Dec. 30, 2025, as part of their documentary evidence.

He added that some individuals listed as employees denied receiving salaries.

"Records will show that the paymaster is there... someone accepted the money. Now when you interview the people involved, they did not accept... and they are ready to give sworn statements," Gapangada said.

According to the mayor, some listed workers were reportedly abroad or residing outside Laguna.

Gapangada added that most of the alleged ghost workers were hired under job order arrangements and received daily wages of around P600.

Colago is also facing complaints for alleged violation of Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, grave abuse of authority, serious dishonesty, and grave misconduct.
San Pablo, Laguna Mayor Arcadio Gapangada Jr. filed malversation and graft complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against Vice Mayor Justin Colago over the alleged payment of salaries to around 200 "ghost" employees.

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Coronavirus Lockdown: Next Pandemic, Toll Free Program, and More!

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

The pandemic is over. Or is it? It's coming back!

https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/4/23/next-pandemic-is-inevitable-what-it-means-for-the-philippines-1400
The world may have moved on from COVID-19, but scientists say the next global health crisis is no longer a distant possibility—it is inevitable.

Speaking to ABS-CBN News following the One Health Summit in Lyon, France, virologist Bruno Lina said humanity is bound to see another pathogen spread across the globe.

"There will be another pandemic. It's not a question of will there be, it's a question of when. We don't know when, but there will be another pandemic," said Lina, president of Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1.

COVID-19 may be the most disruptive pandemic in recent memory, but it is far from being the only one.

The 1918 Spanish Flu infected a third of the global population. Influenza outbreaks in 1957 and 1968 followed. In 2009, the "milder" H1N1 swine flu spread worldwide. 

The lesson, Lina said, is simple: pandemics differ in scale, but their occurrence is constant.

Fortunately, experts have and are continuously improving vaccines that can protect individuals from developing serious infections. 

In the case of COVID, Lina said mRNA vaccines have long been researched even before the coronavirus spread across the world, stressing how long-term investment in science made swift vaccine development possible.

More importantly, pathogen data sharing is also seen as something that could greatly improve the world's response for what the World Health Organization is calling "disease X."

In 2025, member states of the World Health Organization adopted the Pandemic Agreement at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. The international treaty aims to strengthen global prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemics.

Among its key aspects is allowing countries fair access to vital information and data on pathogens as well as vaccines and treatments. Such access to information provides governments the opportunity to act and prevent the spread of illnesses with pandemic potential.

For this to be fully realized, countries are encouraged to embark on a "One Health" approach, which acknowledges that no country can ever fully take care of human health, without taking into consideration the health of animals and the environment.

The Pandemic Agreement’s adoption occurred at a time when the Philippines held the presidency of the WHA. But Department of Health (DOH) spokesperson Albert Domingo admitted that some annexes of the agreement were yet to be finalized. 

The Philippines is part of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement that continues to engage in talks with other countries especially in terms of information sharing and access.

"Masalimuot yung usapin dahil maraming mga bansa ang nagsasabi, dapat ang ating pathogen na information, kung saan man yung disease X, dapat agarang din ibigay sa lahat ng mga bansa para makapaggawa ng bakuna," Domingo said.

(It’s a complicated discussion because a lot of countries are saying that pathogen information, wherever disease X may be found, should immediately be given to countries so that they can make vaccines.)

Others argue that if they provide such data, they should be guaranteed free access to resulting vaccines and treatments.

The Philippines, Domingo said, is pushing for equitable access. "Tayo ay pumapanig doon sa open access. Sas mabilis na mapipigilan ang pagkalat ng isang disease X," he said.

(We favor open access. When information is accessed sooner, countries can act faster to prevent the spread of disease X.)

The World Health Assembly is once again scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland in May.

Underlying the agreement is a broader shift in thinking, the "One Health" approach.

It recognizes that human health is deeply connected to animals and the environment — an idea gaining urgency as climate change, deforestation, and urban expansion increase the risk of new diseases.

For Lina, the virologist, preparedness is not just about technology.

"It's a matter of reorganizing things. It's a matter of understanding processes. And so what should the low and middle income countries do to address the questions of one health is maybe not driven by technology but by behavior," he said.

That includes how societies interact with nature whether through land use, agriculture, or wildlife exposure. Protecting ecosystems, he added, could be one of the most effective ways to prevent future outbreaks.

The DOH said the country is better equipped than it was before COVID.

Now, facilities continue to be improved, including testing capacity through the wide use of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests that allow the swift identification of pathogens.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), a collegiate body tasked to steer the country through the threats of pathogens, is also something that can be activated should the need arise.

"Ito yung incident command. Sa madaling salita, may nagtitimon, may nagsasabi na pag health ang pinag-uusapan, siya ang masusunod at ito ang ginagawa. Standard operating procedure yan sa lahat ng ating mga emergencies," Domingo said.

(This is the incident command. In other words, it leads and directs. It’s standard operating procedure for all health emergencies.)

The Philippines endured one of the longest lockdowns in the world, drawing criticism over its economic and social impact.

For experts, preparedness now is not just about infrastructure but clarity, coordination, and public trust.

Even as countries negotiate frameworks and refine systems, the next pandemic may already be taking shape somewhere.

Years after COVID-19 brought the global economy to a halt, the warning from scientists remains unchanged: another pandemic will come.

The next pandemic is inevitable in how many years? 

7-Eleven halted growth during the pandemic but is not growing at an exponential rate!


https://business.inquirer.net/586987/7-eleven-sales-in-philippines-steady-amid-rising-costs

The exclusive licensor of 7-Eleven stores in the country said its sales have held steady despite rising costs from the Middle East crisis, even as some goods begin to post price increases.

Philippine Seven Corp. (PSC) chair Victor Paterno told reporters on Thursday that the company has yet to see a drop in demand, with convenience stores benefiting from their proximity to consumers as higher fuel costs discourage longer trips.

While some items have become more expensive—such as hotdogs and siopao—due to higher input and energy costs, this has yet to dent sales across 7-Eleven’s offerings, according to Paterno.

“We haven’t seen a decrease in sales due to the crisis,” he said.

To manage risks, PSC has moved to hedge its exposure to rising electricity costs, which Paterno flagged as the main pressure point as liquefied natural gas prices climb.

The company is aggregating the power demand of its stores, allowing multiple sites within a common area to pool consumption.

This initiative now covers a significant portion of its more than 4,500 stores, Paterno said.

On the logistics side, PSC is also preparing for potential diesel supply constraints that could disrupt distribution across its network of around 600 delivery trucks.

Despite the cost pressures, PSC is keeping its expansion plans intact.

PSC aims to open more than 400 new stores by the end of 2026.

Paterno said the rollout is backed by a capital expenditure budget of about P4 billion to P5 billion this year.

In 2025, PSC spent P4.39 billion in capital expenditures, up 11.8 percent from P3.93 billion the year before.

Most of the planned stores have already broken ground, leaving little room to slow down without affecting next year’s pipeline, Paterno said.

“You just keep going. The only time I put the brakes on was the pandemic,” he added, noting that the current crisis differs from the Covid-19 pandemic, when there were mobility restrictions in place.

As such, Paterno said PSC is pushing ahead with its goal to open 5,000 stores by yearend.

As of end-2025, it operated 4,491 stores nationwide, with 53 percent company-owned and 47 percent franchised.

Thank goodness 7-Eleven has not reverted to pandemic times By slowing growth.

Food needs to get to the store so people can buy it. A program launched on April 20th which covers trucks accredited under a program launched during the pandemic is seeking to be extended. 


https://mb.com.ph/2026/04/27/pwede-ba-humirit-villafuertes-seek-expanded-agri-trucks-toll-free-program

Camarines Sur-based lawmakers are prodding the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Transportation (DOTr) to expand the scope and duration of its month-long toll-free transport of farm produce.

Rep. Migz Villafuerte of the province's 5th district and Rep. Luigi Villafuerte of the 2nd district said such expansion would help stabilize for a longer period both the supply and retail cost of rice and other food items amid elevated global fuel prices

The Villafuertes earlier lauded the one-month exemption from tollway fee payments of truckers hauling food items, under a newly launched project facilitated by the DA and DOTr,

Launched last April 20, this “Agri-Trucks Toll Free Program” was facilitated by the DA, DOTr and the DOTr-attached Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) with toll concessionaires Metro Pacific Tollway Corp. (MPTC) and the SMC Tollway Corp. (SMCTC). It covers 1,162 trucks that were already accredited under the DA’s Food Lane program, which was initiated during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the continuous transport of goods amid mobility restrictions.

The DA says that although there are actually 4,000 registered truckers, only 1,162 have valid accreditation at present.

The solon-siblings expressed hopes these agencies could work with toll operators on making this initiative last for longer and cover as many as 4,000 trucks that transport a combined 16,000 metric tons (MT) of farm goods to markets on a daily basis.

“We are appealing to the DA to take extra effort to onboard the rest of the 4,000 registered truckers as a way to expand the scope of this novel initiative by streamlining its registration process, expanding enrollment on-site and/or online, and faster approvals of interested or would-be applicants,” Rep. Luigi said.

“Also, we are calling upon the DA to consider with the DOTr, TRB, MPTC and SMCTC the possibility of extending this toll-free project for more than a month,” he added.

This initiative is part of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program of President Marcos for the agricultural sector, to ensure that food items remain accessible and affordable despite surging oil prices arising from the Middle East war and supply disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz.

According to reports, the 1,162 truckers thus far accredited under this project could save P52 million to P152 million in transport expenses. Every trucker can reportedly save P1,500 to P6,000 per trip.  

Earlier, Rep. Migz backed the proposal of the House Legislative Energy Action and Development (LEAD) Council for a two-month suspension on the collection of the value added tax (VAT) on petroleum products.

“I agree with Rep. Miro that a two-month VAT suspension is feasible, in light of the projected P20 billion windfall profits that the government has thus far collected from the outrageously high diesel and gasoline prices at the pump after  the US-Israel joint attack on Iran began nearly two months ago,” Rep. Migz said. 

The LEAD Council is being presided over by Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Miro Quimbo. It is where House members have pitched both short-term and long-term solutions to fuel price crisis.

It seems the program never went away when it was first initiated. 

According to a new SWS half of Pinoys say life has worsened which is the lowest level since the pandemic. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/04/23/2523043/sws-half-pinoys-say-life-worsened-bleakest-pandemic-era-2021

Half of adult Filipino adults believe their quality of life has deteriorated over the past 12 months, according to a new Social Weather Stations survey, which saw people's perceived well-being sink to its worst since 2021. 

The First Quarter 2026 survey, conducted March 24-31 among 1,500 adults, found 50% said they were worse off, 26% said nothing changed, and 23% said they were better off. 

This produced an overall net score of –26, classified as "low," SWS said. 

That is a 19-point drop from -7 in November 2025, and 18 points below the full-year 2025 average of -8.

The survey results released Thursday, April 23, are the SWS' worst reading of this well-being indicator since September 2021, when the country was grappling with COVID-19 lockdowns, and the score sank to an "extremely low" -44.

The March survey was fielded as inflation, transport costs, and rice prices continued to squeeze household budgets in the first quarter of the year, with the United States-led war in the Middle East driving fuel prices up worldwide.

The November 2025 cycle — the comparison point — had itself already marked a slide from a brief rebound to +12 in June 2025.

Every region, every demographic fell

Mindanao suffered the steepest dive, falling 33 points from +2 to -31. Metro Manila dropped 19 points to -31. Balance Luzon fell 16 points to -23 and the Visayas slid 11 points to -25.

Urban residents took a harder hit than their rural counterparts, falling 22 points to -32 versus a 15-point drop to -18 in rural areas. Men and women declined by nearly identical margins, or 20 and 19 points, respectively.

Young adults lost the most ground

The sharpest single-group collapse came among 18-to-24-year-olds, whose score plummeted 35 points — from an "excellent" +31 in November to a merely "fair" -4 in March. Every older age bracket also worsened, with Filipinos 45 and above now deep in "very low" territory at -38 to -39.

Perceptions of a worsening quality of life also did not vary much by educational background. College graduates posted the mildest decline, slipping 13 points to a "mediocre" -19. 

Non-elementary graduates fell the hardest, dropping 35 points to a "very low" -39.

A gauge tracked since 1983

SWS has asked Filipinos this quality-of-life question 164 times since April 1983, according to its news release.

The score spent most of those decades in negative territory, turned positive only around 2015, then collapsed during the pandemic. 

It briefly recovered to near pre-pandemic levels in mid-2023 and again in the second half of 2024.

With the ongoing fuel crisis, the sinking peso, and inflation it seems attitudes will not be improving.