toDid General Tomoyuki Yamashita (dubbed the Tiger of Malay) hide a significant fortune in gold somewhere in hidden caves, tunnels, or underground complexes in different cities in the Philippines. Many believe so and just as many say no. There is no specific evidence to disprove or prove the theory in what is actually known about Yamashita and the legendary “Yamashita Gold”.
In 1942 he earned his fearsome nickname following his 30,000 strong armies conquer of the British held territory of Malaya in just 70 days. As the Japanese stormed through China and South East Asia they purportedly accumulated a huge fortune in different kinds of valuables looted from banks, depositories, other commercial premises, museums, private homes, and religious buildings.
The treasures were supposedly stored in Singapore and transported to the Philippines following Yamashita being installed as the commander of defenses in the Japanese occupied territory of the Philippines in 1944. The Japanese planned to transfer the loot from the Philippines to Japan after the war was over.
United States Navy submarines and Allied warplanes inflicted increasingly heavy sinkings of Japanese merchant shipping. Some of the ships carrying the war booty back to Japan were sunk in combat.
By September 1944 the war was turning against the Japanese and Yamashita, realizing he could not defend Manila without huge losses, withdrew to the Sierra Madre Mountains Southeast of Manila. It was there that is believed that Yamashita hid the extensive amount of treasure in a vast network of underground tunnels known as “Golden Lilly”. The “Yamashita Gold”.
It is said that when the tunnels were completed and filled with enormous amounts of treasures, the slaves who had constructed the tunnels and the soldiers who had overseen it were sealed inside and left to die with the only people still alive knowing of the locations of the tunnels being Yamashita and Prince Takeda who had ordered the construction of the tunnels.
On the second of September 1945 Yamashita surrendered to the Americans and was subsequently hanged for war crimes and the location of the treasures died with him.
Peggy and Sterling Seagrave who wrote two books on Yamashita and his treasures claim that numerous Golden Lily vaults were found by Edward Lansdale and Severino Santa Roman. The Seagraves allege that Santa Roman tortured Yamashita’s driver Major Kojima Kashii to obtain a probable location of the tunnels. They wrote that Lansdale briefed Doulas MacArthur and officials in the United States who came to the Philippines to inspect the caves. More than 170 caves and tunnels were supposed to be have found. The books allege that 176 “black gold’ banking accounts were created in 42 countries after the treasure was shipped to America to support future United States operations.
Most experts and Filipino historians say there is no credible evidence behind these claims.
In 1961, Rogelio Roxas, a Filipino treasure hunter, claims to have met with the son of a former member of the Japanese army, in Baguio, who mapped the location of the Yamashita treasure. He also spoke of a second man who was an interpreter for Yamashita who told him of a visit to an underground chamber where hordes of gold and silver were hidden and of a golden Buddha kept at a nearby convent
In 1942 he earned his fearsome nickname following his 30,000 strong armies conquer of the British held territory of Malaya in just 70 days. As the Japanese stormed through China and South East Asia they purportedly accumulated a huge fortune in different kinds of valuables looted from banks, depositories, other commercial premises, museums, private homes, and religious buildings.
The treasures were supposedly stored in Singapore and transported to the Philippines following Yamashita being installed as the commander of defenses in the Japanese occupied territory of the Philippines in 1944. The Japanese planned to transfer the loot from the Philippines to Japan after the war was over.
United States Navy submarines and Allied warplanes inflicted increasingly heavy sinkings of Japanese merchant shipping. Some of the ships carrying the war booty back to Japan were sunk in combat.
By September 1944 the war was turning against the Japanese and Yamashita, realizing he could not defend Manila without huge losses, withdrew to the Sierra Madre Mountains Southeast of Manila. It was there that is believed that Yamashita hid the extensive amount of treasure in a vast network of underground tunnels known as “Golden Lilly”. The “Yamashita Gold”.
It is said that when the tunnels were completed and filled with enormous amounts of treasures, the slaves who had constructed the tunnels and the soldiers who had overseen it were sealed inside and left to die with the only people still alive knowing of the locations of the tunnels being Yamashita and Prince Takeda who had ordered the construction of the tunnels.
On the second of September 1945 Yamashita surrendered to the Americans and was subsequently hanged for war crimes and the location of the treasures died with him.
Peggy and Sterling Seagrave who wrote two books on Yamashita and his treasures claim that numerous Golden Lily vaults were found by Edward Lansdale and Severino Santa Roman. The Seagraves allege that Santa Roman tortured Yamashita’s driver Major Kojima Kashii to obtain a probable location of the tunnels. They wrote that Lansdale briefed Doulas MacArthur and officials in the United States who came to the Philippines to inspect the caves. More than 170 caves and tunnels were supposed to be have found. The books allege that 176 “black gold’ banking accounts were created in 42 countries after the treasure was shipped to America to support future United States operations.
Most experts and Filipino historians say there is no credible evidence behind these claims.
In 1961, Rogelio Roxas, a Filipino treasure hunter, claims to have met with the son of a former member of the Japanese army, in Baguio, who mapped the location of the Yamashita treasure. He also spoke of a second man who was an interpreter for Yamashita who told him of a visit to an underground chamber where hordes of gold and silver were hidden and of a golden Buddha kept at a nearby convent
Over the next few years Roxas formed a group to search for the treasures, obtaining a permit from a cousin of Ferdinand Marcos, Judge Poi.
In 1971, Roxas claimed that he and his group uncovered a chamber on state land near Baguio City in which they found bayonets, samurai swords, radios and skeletons dressed in Japanese military attire. He said that he also found a golden Buddha and numerous stacked crates filled with gold bullion. He took from the chamber the Buddha and one crate filled with 24 gold bars, which he stored in his home, and closed off the chamber for safe keeping.
He claims to have sold 7 ingots and upon having the Buddha examined found it to be of 24 carat gold. President Marcos learned of Roxas’ find and had him arrested. He claims he was beaten and the Buddha and remaining gold bullion confiscated. When he partook of a vocal campaign to have the treasures returned, he was beaten more and finally imprisoned for one year.
Following his release, he remained silent until Marcos had lost his presidency. In 1988, Roxas and the Golden Buddha Corporation, which now held the ownership rights to the treasure Roxas claims was stolen from him, filed a law suit against Marcos and his wife Imelda in a Hawaiian state court seeking damages for the theft and the surrounding human rights abuses committed against him.
Roxas died just before the trial but had given a deposition testimony that would be later used in evidence.
In 1971, Roxas claimed that he and his group uncovered a chamber on state land near Baguio City in which they found bayonets, samurai swords, radios and skeletons dressed in Japanese military attire. He said that he also found a golden Buddha and numerous stacked crates filled with gold bullion. He took from the chamber the Buddha and one crate filled with 24 gold bars, which he stored in his home, and closed off the chamber for safe keeping.
He claims to have sold 7 ingots and upon having the Buddha examined found it to be of 24 carat gold. President Marcos learned of Roxas’ find and had him arrested. He claims he was beaten and the Buddha and remaining gold bullion confiscated. When he partook of a vocal campaign to have the treasures returned, he was beaten more and finally imprisoned for one year.
Following his release, he remained silent until Marcos had lost his presidency. In 1988, Roxas and the Golden Buddha Corporation, which now held the ownership rights to the treasure Roxas claims was stolen from him, filed a law suit against Marcos and his wife Imelda in a Hawaiian state court seeking damages for the theft and the surrounding human rights abuses committed against him.
Roxas died just before the trial but had given a deposition testimony that would be later used in evidence.
In 1988, Roxas and the Golden Buddha Corporation, which now held the ownership rights to the treasure Roxas claims was stolen from him, filed suit against Marcos and his wife Imelda in a Hawaiian state court seeking damages for the theft and the human rights abuses committed against him. Roxas died on the eve of trial, but prior to his death he gave the deposition testimony that would be later used in evidence.
In 1996, the Roxas estate and the Golden Buddha Corporation received what was then largest judgment ever awarded in history, $22 billion, which with interest increased it to $40.5 billion. In 1998, the Hawaii Supreme Court held that there was sufficient evidence to support the jury's finding that Roxas found the treasure and that Marcos had stolen it. However, the court reversed the damage award, holding that the $22 billion award of damages for the chamber full of gold was too speculative, as there was no evidence of quantity or quality, and ordered a new hearing on the value of the golden Buddha and 17 bars of gold only. After several more years of legal proceedings, the Golden Buddha Corporation obtained a final judgment against Imelda Marcos to the extent of her interest in the Marcos estate in the principal amount of $13,275,848.37 and Roxas’ estate obtained a $6 million judgment on the claim for human right abuse.
This lawsuit ultimately concluded that Roxas found a treasure, and although the Hawaiian state court was not required to determine whether this particular treasure was the legendary Yamashita’s gold, the testimony relied upon by the court in reaching its conclusion pointed in that direction. Roxas was allegedly following a map from the son of a Japanese soldier; Roxas allegedly relied on tips provided from Yamashita’s interpreter; and Roxas allegedly found samurai swords and the skeletons of dead Japanese soldiers in the treasure chamber. All this led the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal to summarize the allegations leading to Roxas’ final judgment as follows: "The Yamashita Treasure was found by Roxas and stolen from Roxas by Marcos' men.
In 1996, the Roxas estate and the Golden Buddha Corporation received what was then largest judgment ever awarded in history, $22 billion, which with interest increased it to $40.5 billion. In 1998, the Hawaii Supreme Court held that there was sufficient evidence to support the jury's finding that Roxas found the treasure and that Marcos had stolen it. However, the court reversed the damage award, holding that the $22 billion award of damages for the chamber full of gold was too speculative, as there was no evidence of quantity or quality, and ordered a new hearing on the value of the golden Buddha and 17 bars of gold only. After several more years of legal proceedings, the Golden Buddha Corporation obtained a final judgment against Imelda Marcos to the extent of her interest in the Marcos estate in the principal amount of $13,275,848.37 and Roxas’ estate obtained a $6 million judgment on the claim for human right abuse.
This lawsuit ultimately concluded that Roxas found a treasure, and although the Hawaiian state court was not required to determine whether this particular treasure was the legendary Yamashita’s gold, the testimony relied upon by the court in reaching its conclusion pointed in that direction. Roxas was allegedly following a map from the son of a Japanese soldier; Roxas allegedly relied on tips provided from Yamashita’s interpreter; and Roxas allegedly found samurai swords and the skeletons of dead Japanese soldiers in the treasure chamber. All this led the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal to summarize the allegations leading to Roxas’ final judgment as follows: "The Yamashita Treasure was found by Roxas and stolen from Roxas by Marcos' men.
In 1992, Imelda Marcos claimed that Yamashita's gold accounted for the bulk of the wealth of her husband, Ferdinand Marcos.
Many individuals and consortia, both Philippine and foreign, continue to search for treasure sites. A number of accidental deaths, injuries and financial losses incurred by treasure hunters have been reported.
The National Museum of the Philippines is responsible for the issuance of treasure hunting permits and licenses.
Many individuals and consortia, both Philippine and foreign, continue to search for treasure sites. A number of accidental deaths, injuries and financial losses incurred by treasure hunters have been reported.
The National Museum of the Philippines is responsible for the issuance of treasure hunting permits and licenses.
The 1966 television thriller “Doomsday Flight” became the catalyst for a number of real bomb hoaxes in later years. In short, a bomb on board an airliner has an altitude sensor trigger. Unless a ransom is paid the plane will explode on descent.
This movie was the motivation behind Australia’s most brazen aviation hoists, born out of greed and undone by stupidity.
Peter Macari, as he was later identified, was an English immigrant, arriving in Australia some two years earlier on a fake passport after skipping bail in Britain on indecent assault charges. His move into Australia life was far from a bed of roses. He opened small factory at Brookvale in Sydney which produced fiber-glass boats, but he lost half his life savings and began to travel.
He traveled the country in a fitted out van and while residing in Townsville he watched “Doomsday Flight” on a small television set inside his van. “That would be a good way to make money” a witness and friend Francis Sorohan would testify hearing him say after watching the film. Sorohan was later charged and acquitted as a minor accomplice. Macari’s plan was set in motion.
What started with a chance rerun of the film Doomsday Flight inside a kitted-out van in Townsville would inevitably set in motion a chain of events that ended in the extortion of half a million dollars — and stopped the nation in its tracks.
On May 26, 1971 a phone rang at Qantas House in Hunter Street, Sydney.
This movie was the motivation behind Australia’s most brazen aviation hoists, born out of greed and undone by stupidity.
Peter Macari, as he was later identified, was an English immigrant, arriving in Australia some two years earlier on a fake passport after skipping bail in Britain on indecent assault charges. His move into Australia life was far from a bed of roses. He opened small factory at Brookvale in Sydney which produced fiber-glass boats, but he lost half his life savings and began to travel.
He traveled the country in a fitted out van and while residing in Townsville he watched “Doomsday Flight” on a small television set inside his van. “That would be a good way to make money” a witness and friend Francis Sorohan would testify hearing him say after watching the film. Sorohan was later charged and acquitted as a minor accomplice. Macari’s plan was set in motion.
What started with a chance rerun of the film Doomsday Flight inside a kitted-out van in Townsville would inevitably set in motion a chain of events that ended in the extortion of half a million dollars — and stopped the nation in its tracks.
On May 26, 1971 a phone rang at Qantas House in Hunter Street, Sydney.
“Call me Mr. Brown. Qantas flight 755 from Sydney to Hong Kong is carrying an explosive and is set to detonate as the plane comes in to land.”,the voice told Qantas staff.
He explained that for a ransom of $500,000 he would lead authorities to its location, sparing the lives on the flight. “If you don’t believe me, why not inspect locker 84 at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith International Airport where I have placed a replica device” he said.
Inside the locker police disclosed an unimaginable item, a bomb of gelignite with an altimeter-triggered detonator and a note explaining that the bomb would explode when the plane descended below 20,000 feet. "If you don't pay, or if you interfere in any way, you will lose your plane. And this will be repeated," the letter added.
Authorities now believed Mr. Brown was not bluffing.
The replica bomb was defused and a light bulb inserted in place of the explosives. To test Mr. Brown’s legitimacy, the bomb was placed aboard another Boeing 707 and climbed to 8,500 feet before beginning its descent. At 5,000 feet the light bulb on the altitude activator lit up. If the explosive was still on the device the 707 would have been blown to pieces.
He explained that for a ransom of $500,000 he would lead authorities to its location, sparing the lives on the flight. “If you don’t believe me, why not inspect locker 84 at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith International Airport where I have placed a replica device” he said.
Inside the locker police disclosed an unimaginable item, a bomb of gelignite with an altimeter-triggered detonator and a note explaining that the bomb would explode when the plane descended below 20,000 feet. "If you don't pay, or if you interfere in any way, you will lose your plane. And this will be repeated," the letter added.
Authorities now believed Mr. Brown was not bluffing.
The replica bomb was defused and a light bulb inserted in place of the explosives. To test Mr. Brown’s legitimacy, the bomb was placed aboard another Boeing 707 and climbed to 8,500 feet before beginning its descent. At 5,000 feet the light bulb on the altitude activator lit up. If the explosive was still on the device the 707 would have been blown to pieces.
Authorities now believed that this was not a game and that they had to act. The 116 passengers on board flight 755 to Hong Kong were unaware of the drama unfolding on the ground and were told that they were returning to Sydney because of “technical problems”. Authorities however believed that flight 755 was living on borrowed time.
Mr. Brown had demanded two suitcases full of cash. He was not one to be tested and he would receive his ransom.
At 5.30 pm Qantas deputy general manager Phillip Howson, took a call from Mr. Brown and a 10 minute conversation ensued, outlining the terms and conditions of the drop.
“A yellow van will pull up outside Qantas House in Chifley Square in the city at 5:45pm. The driver would identify himself by shaking his keys out the window. The getaway vehicle is not to be followed. Any deviation from the plan will end in an irreversible catastrophe.” were the instructions and warning.
Qantas general manager, Captain RJ Ritchie, delivered the ransom as instructed, shoving suitcases full of cash into a Volkswagen Kombi van.
Unfortunately police surveillance of the van didn’t go as planned and they were unable to keep track of it all the way to its place of abandonment.
Mr. Brown had demanded two suitcases full of cash. He was not one to be tested and he would receive his ransom.
At 5.30 pm Qantas deputy general manager Phillip Howson, took a call from Mr. Brown and a 10 minute conversation ensued, outlining the terms and conditions of the drop.
“A yellow van will pull up outside Qantas House in Chifley Square in the city at 5:45pm. The driver would identify himself by shaking his keys out the window. The getaway vehicle is not to be followed. Any deviation from the plan will end in an irreversible catastrophe.” were the instructions and warning.
Qantas general manager, Captain RJ Ritchie, delivered the ransom as instructed, shoving suitcases full of cash into a Volkswagen Kombi van.
Unfortunately police surveillance of the van didn’t go as planned and they were unable to keep track of it all the way to its place of abandonment.
At 6.20 pm police received one final call from Mr. Brown. “You can relax; there is no bomb aboard the plane. You can land her safely."
Under the cover of nightfall, Mr. Brown had fled with his earnings — leaving police none the wiser about the real identity.
Authorities vowed to leave no stone unturned in the hunt for Mr. Brown, offering a fifty thousand dollar reward for any information leading to Mr. Brown’s arrest.
Detectives worked alongside Scotland Yard, Interpol and the FBI in a bid to narrow down the list of suspects.
Phonetic experts were brought in to listen to recordings of Mr. Brown's voice, while sketches and flyers were released to the public — all to no avail.
Ultimately it would be the stupidity of Mr. Brown’s accomplice, Raymond James Poynting that would bring the whole plan undone after a tip off from a service station attendant about a free spending man frequenting the station.
Commonsense would tell you to lay low, bringing no attention to yourself after such a brazen hoist. Not so for Mr. Poynting. He was a regular customer at this garage and when he turned up in a brand new E-Type Jaguar a few heads were turned. When he returned a couple of weeks later in a different luxury car, suspicions were aroused about his stories of good fortune.
Under the cover of nightfall, Mr. Brown had fled with his earnings — leaving police none the wiser about the real identity.
Authorities vowed to leave no stone unturned in the hunt for Mr. Brown, offering a fifty thousand dollar reward for any information leading to Mr. Brown’s arrest.
Detectives worked alongside Scotland Yard, Interpol and the FBI in a bid to narrow down the list of suspects.
Phonetic experts were brought in to listen to recordings of Mr. Brown's voice, while sketches and flyers were released to the public — all to no avail.
Ultimately it would be the stupidity of Mr. Brown’s accomplice, Raymond James Poynting that would bring the whole plan undone after a tip off from a service station attendant about a free spending man frequenting the station.
Commonsense would tell you to lay low, bringing no attention to yourself after such a brazen hoist. Not so for Mr. Poynting. He was a regular customer at this garage and when he turned up in a brand new E-Type Jaguar a few heads were turned. When he returned a couple of weeks later in a different luxury car, suspicions were aroused about his stories of good fortune.
He was placed under surveillance by consorting squad detectives and he confessed to his role in the robbery. They then set about tracking down the man they now knew as Peter Macari.
On the 4th of August, 1971 they caught up with Mr. Brown and he and his co-accused were arrested.
Both men eventually pleaded guilty of the crime and the epic story that had enthralled a nation was over except for one small detail. Where was the ransom money?
A little over half of the ransom, some $261,387, had been recovered by detectives, hidden under floorboards in Balmain, a fireplace in Annandale and through the sale of a series of lavish cars, but the remainder had disappeared without so much as a trace.
Macari spun yarns of what had happened to the money including a story of a wider criminal network. He claimed to have given $220,000 to a third party named Ken. These stories were unequivocally dismissed by police with some believing that the remainder of the money is in two safes decaying off Bondi Beach. It will probably be never found.
Poynting was sentenced to seven years in prison for his part in the hoax, while Macari was handed the maximum 15-year sentence.
The story came to an end on November 12, 1980. After serving nine years of his prison term, Peter Macari (alias Mr. Brown) was deported back to Britain — on a Qantas flight.
On the 4th of August, 1971 they caught up with Mr. Brown and he and his co-accused were arrested.
Both men eventually pleaded guilty of the crime and the epic story that had enthralled a nation was over except for one small detail. Where was the ransom money?
A little over half of the ransom, some $261,387, had been recovered by detectives, hidden under floorboards in Balmain, a fireplace in Annandale and through the sale of a series of lavish cars, but the remainder had disappeared without so much as a trace.
Macari spun yarns of what had happened to the money including a story of a wider criminal network. He claimed to have given $220,000 to a third party named Ken. These stories were unequivocally dismissed by police with some believing that the remainder of the money is in two safes decaying off Bondi Beach. It will probably be never found.
Poynting was sentenced to seven years in prison for his part in the hoax, while Macari was handed the maximum 15-year sentence.
The story came to an end on November 12, 1980. After serving nine years of his prison term, Peter Macari (alias Mr. Brown) was deported back to Britain — on a Qantas flight.
Benjamin “Bening” Tesoro at 70 years of age is the current Vice Mayor of San Manuel, Tarlac, but his war started in 1975 as a young soldier.
As a 21 year old Second Lieutenant, he had just graduated from the Philippine Military Academy. He had no combat experience but he was looking to find his place in the military.
There were intelligence reports that the rebels in Paguengan (Basilan) had a major training camp in the area and he requested that he be able to lead an operation against the rebels. Being so young and inexperienced his request was turned down. Persistence finally paid off and the battalion commander finally gave him the green light to lead his men into the mountains and undergo training.
He addressed his men with “This is war, But before we could claim victory, we have to defeat the enemy. My indoctrination of my people, when you dive into such a war, we should consider ourselves dead.”
Tesoro took 37 brave men into war on July 4, 1975, a battle that became part of the Mindanao Pacific Campaign at the height of the Muslim Separatist Rebellion in southern Philippines. His objective was rugged terrain south of Mount Siningcapan. They had brought light arms and ammunition in an effort to be more agile in movement and speed.
As a 21 year old Second Lieutenant, he had just graduated from the Philippine Military Academy. He had no combat experience but he was looking to find his place in the military.
There were intelligence reports that the rebels in Paguengan (Basilan) had a major training camp in the area and he requested that he be able to lead an operation against the rebels. Being so young and inexperienced his request was turned down. Persistence finally paid off and the battalion commander finally gave him the green light to lead his men into the mountains and undergo training.
He addressed his men with “This is war, But before we could claim victory, we have to defeat the enemy. My indoctrination of my people, when you dive into such a war, we should consider ourselves dead.”
Tesoro took 37 brave men into war on July 4, 1975, a battle that became part of the Mindanao Pacific Campaign at the height of the Muslim Separatist Rebellion in southern Philippines. His objective was rugged terrain south of Mount Siningcapan. They had brought light arms and ammunition in an effort to be more agile in movement and speed.
First shots were fired at 9 am and initially they were confronted by 50 armed men and the battle turned bloody. Tasoro lost three men. The enemy called for reinforcements and they were coming from all directions, Tesoro called for reinforcements as well but his base was 20 miles away.
As his troops had become pinned down, he had to find ways to save his men. His tactics were to stay mobile and move around to deceive the enemy. By late afternoon, when reinforcements finally arrived his men were almost out of ammunition and he had lost 12 men with 13 wounded.
Tesoro was awarded the Gold Cross for his efforts in saving the majority of his men. He shared the honor with the soldiers who died and were wounded in the battle.
That bloody battle in Paguengan was just his first of many major battles Bening Tesoro fought in his life time. He fought a further 35 battles in Mindanao, some of those also earned him bravery medals.
Tesoro joined the army because of his love of his country and for the same reason he left the army. As a loyal supporter of Ninoy Aquino, his ideologies were not compatible with dictatorship.
Bening was drawn into politics and government services. He ran for public office in 2003, serving as Mayor of San Manual, Tarlac for three consecutive terms. However this time he went into battle for poor farmers.
From his first battle he learned to stand by his convictions, to be confident in what he can do for the country, and to never lose hope no matter how seemingly insurmountable the odds.
The former soldier says his baptism of fire as a young soldier was a defining moment that profoundly changed him forever, “a one-in-a-million experience that shall always live in my heart to inspire me to love my motherland next to God.”
While he is still Vice mayor of San Manuel, the mayor is his beautiful daughter, Donya Tesoro.
As his troops had become pinned down, he had to find ways to save his men. His tactics were to stay mobile and move around to deceive the enemy. By late afternoon, when reinforcements finally arrived his men were almost out of ammunition and he had lost 12 men with 13 wounded.
Tesoro was awarded the Gold Cross for his efforts in saving the majority of his men. He shared the honor with the soldiers who died and were wounded in the battle.
That bloody battle in Paguengan was just his first of many major battles Bening Tesoro fought in his life time. He fought a further 35 battles in Mindanao, some of those also earned him bravery medals.
Tesoro joined the army because of his love of his country and for the same reason he left the army. As a loyal supporter of Ninoy Aquino, his ideologies were not compatible with dictatorship.
Bening was drawn into politics and government services. He ran for public office in 2003, serving as Mayor of San Manual, Tarlac for three consecutive terms. However this time he went into battle for poor farmers.
From his first battle he learned to stand by his convictions, to be confident in what he can do for the country, and to never lose hope no matter how seemingly insurmountable the odds.
The former soldier says his baptism of fire as a young soldier was a defining moment that profoundly changed him forever, “a one-in-a-million experience that shall always live in my heart to inspire me to love my motherland next to God.”
While he is still Vice mayor of San Manuel, the mayor is his beautiful daughter, Donya Tesoro.
“The Rocks” is an historic strip of land on the western side of Sydney Cove sitting on the edge of one of the world’s great natural harbors where settlers chose to land in 1788. It is principally the birth place of modern Sydney. It developed from an unruly settlement of convicts, soldiers and sailors into a prosperous, progressive city.
It was a rocky headland of enormous outcrops of rugged sandstone covered with dry sclerophyll (type of vegetation characterized by hard, leathery, evergreen follage) forest called Tallawoladah by the first owners of the land, the Cadigal people, until the convicts of 1788 renamed it “The Rocks”.
Archaeological evidence shows that the Cadigal people lit cooking fires high on the slopes, and shared feasts of barbecued fish and shellfish. Down below, Cadigal women fished the waters of Warrane (now Sydney Cove) in bark canoes.
Tallawoladah became the convicts side of town while the governor and government officials resided on the more organized eastern slopes of Tank Stream which is heritage-listed former fresh water tributary of Sydney Cove and now tunnel and watercourse located in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area.
It was a rocky headland of enormous outcrops of rugged sandstone covered with dry sclerophyll (type of vegetation characterized by hard, leathery, evergreen follage) forest called Tallawoladah by the first owners of the land, the Cadigal people, until the convicts of 1788 renamed it “The Rocks”.
Archaeological evidence shows that the Cadigal people lit cooking fires high on the slopes, and shared feasts of barbecued fish and shellfish. Down below, Cadigal women fished the waters of Warrane (now Sydney Cove) in bark canoes.
Tallawoladah became the convicts side of town while the governor and government officials resided on the more organized eastern slopes of Tank Stream which is heritage-listed former fresh water tributary of Sydney Cove and now tunnel and watercourse located in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area.
Convicts appropriated land on the west, some by contracts but most without. They built old-fashioned houses of wattle and daub (a building system used in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw), with thatched roofs and later of weatherboards or rubble stone, roofed with timber shingles. They fenced off gardens and yards, established trades and businesses, built bread ovens and forges, opened shops and pubs, and raised families. By1790, large numbers of Aboriginal people were moving in and continued to live there through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
By 1805 a stone church, St. Philip’s, had been constructed on Church Hill (now Lang Park). At the foot of The Rocks was a walled jail and the towns first hospital in what is now George Street.
The 1830’s saw the population of The Rocks grow to 1200, mostly convicts and their children. The 1820s and 1830s were marked by the expansion of trade, as the houses, stores and wharves of merchants and ship-owners expanded around Dawes Point to Millers Point and Cockle Bay (now Darling Harbor).
High rise commercial buildings began appearing in 1970 when a new semi-autonomous body “The Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority” was formed and indicted with the efficient relocation of residents, often to outer-western Sydney and redevelopment.
The Rocks was old Sydney, associated with the shadowy, shameful convict past. Now, with cobbled laneways, century old pubs and cozy cafés, it is one of the most popular historic sites in Australia.
By 1805 a stone church, St. Philip’s, had been constructed on Church Hill (now Lang Park). At the foot of The Rocks was a walled jail and the towns first hospital in what is now George Street.
The 1830’s saw the population of The Rocks grow to 1200, mostly convicts and their children. The 1820s and 1830s were marked by the expansion of trade, as the houses, stores and wharves of merchants and ship-owners expanded around Dawes Point to Millers Point and Cockle Bay (now Darling Harbor).
High rise commercial buildings began appearing in 1970 when a new semi-autonomous body “The Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority” was formed and indicted with the efficient relocation of residents, often to outer-western Sydney and redevelopment.
The Rocks was old Sydney, associated with the shadowy, shameful convict past. Now, with cobbled laneways, century old pubs and cozy cafés, it is one of the most popular historic sites in Australia.
During World War II the United States exported more tons of petroleum products than of all other war material combined. The mainstay of the enormous oil-and gasoline transportation network that fed the war was the oceangoing tanker, supplemented on land by pipelines, railroad tank cars, and trucks. But for combat vehicles on the move, another link was crucial—smaller containers that could be carried and poured by hand and moved around a battle zone by trucks.
Hitler knew this. He perceived early on that the weakest link in his plans for blitzkrieg using his panzer divisions was fuel supply. He ordered his staff to design a fuel container that would minimize gasoline losses under combat conditions. As a result the German army had thousands of jerry cans, as they came to be called, stored and ready when hostilities began in 1939.
The jerry can had been developed under the strictest secrecy, and its unique features were many. It was flat-sided and rectangular in shape, consisting of two halves welded together as in a typical automobile gasoline tank. It had three handles, enabling one man to carry two cans and pass one to another man in bucket-brigade fashion. Its capacity was approximately five U.S. gallons; its weight filled was forty-five pounds. Thanks to an air chamber at the top, it would float on water if dropped overboard or from a plane. Its short spout was secured with a snap closure that could be propped open for pouring, making unnecessary any funnel or opener. A gasket made the mouth leak proof. An air-breathing tube from the spout to the air space kept the pouring smooth. And most important, the can’s inside was lined with an impervious plastic
material developed for the insides of steel beer barrels. This enabled the jerry can to be used alternately for gasoline and water.
Early in the summer of 1939, this secret weapon began a roundabout odyssey into American hands. An American engineer named Paul Pleiss, finishing up a manufacturing job in Berlin, persuaded a German colleague to join him on a vacation trip overland to India. The two bought an automobile chassis and built a body for it. As they prepared to leave on their journey, they realized that they had no provision for emergency water. The German engineer knew of and had access to thousands of jerry cans stored at Tempelhof Airport. He simply took three and mounted them on the underside of the car.
The two drove across eleven national borders without incident and were halfway across India when Field Marshal Goering sent a plane to take the German engineer back home. Before departing, the engineer compounded his treason by giving Pleiss complete specifications for the jerry can’s manufacture. Pleiss continued on alone to Calcutta Then he put the car in storage and returned to Philadelphia.
Hitler knew this. He perceived early on that the weakest link in his plans for blitzkrieg using his panzer divisions was fuel supply. He ordered his staff to design a fuel container that would minimize gasoline losses under combat conditions. As a result the German army had thousands of jerry cans, as they came to be called, stored and ready when hostilities began in 1939.
The jerry can had been developed under the strictest secrecy, and its unique features were many. It was flat-sided and rectangular in shape, consisting of two halves welded together as in a typical automobile gasoline tank. It had three handles, enabling one man to carry two cans and pass one to another man in bucket-brigade fashion. Its capacity was approximately five U.S. gallons; its weight filled was forty-five pounds. Thanks to an air chamber at the top, it would float on water if dropped overboard or from a plane. Its short spout was secured with a snap closure that could be propped open for pouring, making unnecessary any funnel or opener. A gasket made the mouth leak proof. An air-breathing tube from the spout to the air space kept the pouring smooth. And most important, the can’s inside was lined with an impervious plastic
material developed for the insides of steel beer barrels. This enabled the jerry can to be used alternately for gasoline and water.
Early in the summer of 1939, this secret weapon began a roundabout odyssey into American hands. An American engineer named Paul Pleiss, finishing up a manufacturing job in Berlin, persuaded a German colleague to join him on a vacation trip overland to India. The two bought an automobile chassis and built a body for it. As they prepared to leave on their journey, they realized that they had no provision for emergency water. The German engineer knew of and had access to thousands of jerry cans stored at Tempelhof Airport. He simply took three and mounted them on the underside of the car.
The two drove across eleven national borders without incident and were halfway across India when Field Marshal Goering sent a plane to take the German engineer back home. Before departing, the engineer compounded his treason by giving Pleiss complete specifications for the jerry can’s manufacture. Pleiss continued on alone to Calcutta Then he put the car in storage and returned to Philadelphia.
Back in the United States, Pleiss told military officials about the container, but without a sample can he could stir no interest, even though the war was now well under way. The risk involved in having the cans removed from the car and shipped from Calcutta seemed too great, so he eventually had the complete vehicle sent to him, via Turkey and the
Cape of Good Hope. It arrived in New York in the summer of 1940 with the three jerry cans intact. Pleiss immediately sent one of the cans to Washington. The War Department looked at it but unwisely decided that an updated version of their World War I container would be good enough. That was a cylindrical ten-gallon can with two screw closures. It required a wrench and a funnel for pouring.
That one jerry can in the Army’s possession was later sent to Camp Holabird, in Maryland. There it was poorly redesigned; the only features retained were the size, shape, and handles. The welded circumferential joint was replaced with rolled seams around the bottom and one side. Both a wrench and a funnel were required for its use. And it now had no lining. As any
petroleum engineer knows, it is unsafe to store gasoline in a container with rolled seams. This ersatz can did not win wide acceptance.
The British first encountered the jerry can during the German invasion of Norway, in 1940, and gave it its English name (the Germans were, of course, the “Jerries”). Later that year Pleiss was in London and was asked by British officers if he knew anything about the can’s design and manufacture. He ordered the second of his three jerry cans flown to London. Steps were taken to manufacture exact duplicates of it.
Two years later the United States was still oblivious of the can. Then, in September 1942, two quality-control officers posted to American refineries in the Mideast ran smack into the problems being created by ignoring the jerry can. I was one of those two. Passing through Cairo two weeks before the start of the Battle of El Alamein, we learned that the British wanted no part of a planned U.S. Navy can; as far as they were concerned, the only container worth having was the Jerry can, even though their only supply was those captured in battle. The British were bitter; two years after the invasion of Norway there was still no evidence that their government had done anything about the jerry can.
My colleague and I learned quickly about the jerry can’s advantages and the Allied can’s costly disadvantages, and we sent a cable to naval officials in Washington stating that 40 percent of all the gasoline sent to Egypt was being lost through spillage and evaporation. We added that a detailed report would follow. The 40 percent figure was actually a guess intended to provoke alarm, but it worked. A cable came back immediately requesting confirmation.
We then arranged a visit to several fuel-handling depots at the rear of Montgomery’s army and found there that conditions were indeed appalling. Fuel arrived by rail from the sea in fifty-five-gallon steel drums with rolled seams and friction-sealed metallic mouths.
The drums were handled violently by local labourers. Many leaked. The next link in the chain was the infamous five-gallon “petrol tin.” This was a square can of tin plate that had been used for decades to supply lamp kerosene. It was hardly useful for gasoline. In the hot desert sun, it tended to swell up, burst at the seams, and leak. Since a funnel was needed for pouring, spillage was also a problem.
Allied soldiers in Africa knew that the only gasoline container worth having was German. Similar tins were carried on Liberator bombers in flight. They leaked out perhaps a third of the fuel they carried. Because of this, General Wavell’s defeat of the Italians in North Africa in 1940
had come to naught. His planes and combat vehicles had literally run out of gas. Likewise in 1941, General Auchinleck’s victory over Rommel had withered away. In 1942 General Montgomery saw to it that he had enough supplies, including gasoline, to whip Rommel in spite of terrific wastage. And he was helped by captured jerry cans.
The British historian Desmond Young later confirmed the great importance of oil cans in the early African part of the war. “No one who did not serve in the desert,” he wrote, “can realize to what extent the difference between complete and partial success rested on the simplest item of our equipment—and the worst. Whoever sent our troops into desert warfare with the [five-gallon] petrol tin has much to answer for. General Auchinleck estimates that this ‘flimsy and ill-constructed container’ led to the loss of thirty per cent of petrol between base and consumer. … The overall loss was almost incalculable. To calculate the tanks destroyed, the number of men who were killed or went into captivity because of shortage of petrol at some crucial moment, the ships and merchant seamen lost in carrying it would be quite impossible. After my colleague and I made our report, a new five-gallon container under consideration in Washington was cancelled.
Meanwhile the British were finally gearing up for mass production. Two million British jerry cans were sent to North Africa in early 1943, and by early 1944 they were being manufactured in the Middle East. Since the British had such a head start, the Allies agreed to let them produce all the cans needed for the invasion of Europe. Millions were ready by D-day. By V - E Day some twenty-one million Allied jerry cans had been scattered all over Europe. President Roosevelt observed in November 1944, “Without these cans it would have been impossible for our armies to cut their way across France at a lightning pace which exceeded the German Blitz of 1940.”
In Washington little about the jerry can appears in the official records. A military report says simply, “A sample of the jerry can was brought to the office of the Quartermaster General in the summer of 1940.”
Cape of Good Hope. It arrived in New York in the summer of 1940 with the three jerry cans intact. Pleiss immediately sent one of the cans to Washington. The War Department looked at it but unwisely decided that an updated version of their World War I container would be good enough. That was a cylindrical ten-gallon can with two screw closures. It required a wrench and a funnel for pouring.
That one jerry can in the Army’s possession was later sent to Camp Holabird, in Maryland. There it was poorly redesigned; the only features retained were the size, shape, and handles. The welded circumferential joint was replaced with rolled seams around the bottom and one side. Both a wrench and a funnel were required for its use. And it now had no lining. As any
petroleum engineer knows, it is unsafe to store gasoline in a container with rolled seams. This ersatz can did not win wide acceptance.
The British first encountered the jerry can during the German invasion of Norway, in 1940, and gave it its English name (the Germans were, of course, the “Jerries”). Later that year Pleiss was in London and was asked by British officers if he knew anything about the can’s design and manufacture. He ordered the second of his three jerry cans flown to London. Steps were taken to manufacture exact duplicates of it.
Two years later the United States was still oblivious of the can. Then, in September 1942, two quality-control officers posted to American refineries in the Mideast ran smack into the problems being created by ignoring the jerry can. I was one of those two. Passing through Cairo two weeks before the start of the Battle of El Alamein, we learned that the British wanted no part of a planned U.S. Navy can; as far as they were concerned, the only container worth having was the Jerry can, even though their only supply was those captured in battle. The British were bitter; two years after the invasion of Norway there was still no evidence that their government had done anything about the jerry can.
My colleague and I learned quickly about the jerry can’s advantages and the Allied can’s costly disadvantages, and we sent a cable to naval officials in Washington stating that 40 percent of all the gasoline sent to Egypt was being lost through spillage and evaporation. We added that a detailed report would follow. The 40 percent figure was actually a guess intended to provoke alarm, but it worked. A cable came back immediately requesting confirmation.
We then arranged a visit to several fuel-handling depots at the rear of Montgomery’s army and found there that conditions were indeed appalling. Fuel arrived by rail from the sea in fifty-five-gallon steel drums with rolled seams and friction-sealed metallic mouths.
The drums were handled violently by local labourers. Many leaked. The next link in the chain was the infamous five-gallon “petrol tin.” This was a square can of tin plate that had been used for decades to supply lamp kerosene. It was hardly useful for gasoline. In the hot desert sun, it tended to swell up, burst at the seams, and leak. Since a funnel was needed for pouring, spillage was also a problem.
Allied soldiers in Africa knew that the only gasoline container worth having was German. Similar tins were carried on Liberator bombers in flight. They leaked out perhaps a third of the fuel they carried. Because of this, General Wavell’s defeat of the Italians in North Africa in 1940
had come to naught. His planes and combat vehicles had literally run out of gas. Likewise in 1941, General Auchinleck’s victory over Rommel had withered away. In 1942 General Montgomery saw to it that he had enough supplies, including gasoline, to whip Rommel in spite of terrific wastage. And he was helped by captured jerry cans.
The British historian Desmond Young later confirmed the great importance of oil cans in the early African part of the war. “No one who did not serve in the desert,” he wrote, “can realize to what extent the difference between complete and partial success rested on the simplest item of our equipment—and the worst. Whoever sent our troops into desert warfare with the [five-gallon] petrol tin has much to answer for. General Auchinleck estimates that this ‘flimsy and ill-constructed container’ led to the loss of thirty per cent of petrol between base and consumer. … The overall loss was almost incalculable. To calculate the tanks destroyed, the number of men who were killed or went into captivity because of shortage of petrol at some crucial moment, the ships and merchant seamen lost in carrying it would be quite impossible. After my colleague and I made our report, a new five-gallon container under consideration in Washington was cancelled.
Meanwhile the British were finally gearing up for mass production. Two million British jerry cans were sent to North Africa in early 1943, and by early 1944 they were being manufactured in the Middle East. Since the British had such a head start, the Allies agreed to let them produce all the cans needed for the invasion of Europe. Millions were ready by D-day. By V - E Day some twenty-one million Allied jerry cans had been scattered all over Europe. President Roosevelt observed in November 1944, “Without these cans it would have been impossible for our armies to cut their way across France at a lightning pace which exceeded the German Blitz of 1940.”
In Washington little about the jerry can appears in the official records. A military report says simply, “A sample of the jerry can was brought to the office of the Quartermaster General in the summer of 1940.”
The most active of all volcanoes, having erupted about fifty times since 1616 is that of Mount Mayon, situated in the province of Albay on the island of Luzon. It is regarded as the world‟s most symmetrical volcano because of its classical conical shape.
Mayon‟s most catastrophic eruption took place in 1814, and while its lava flow was not as profuse as other eruptions, it discharged millions of tons of volcanic ash covering the terrain with up to 30 feet (9 meters) of debris and completely burying the town of Cagsawa with tephra. The countryside was devastated, trees destroyed and rivers damaged with 2,200 people losing their lives. Its accretion of atmospheric ash was believed to have contributed to the world‟s “Year Without Summer” of 1816.
There have been many eruptions and earthquakes emanate from Mayon since, causing tens of thousands of evacuations without casualty until 2013 when a phreatic eruption (steam explosions) lasting 73 seconds killed 4 tourists and their tour guide.
In August 2014, a surge in sulphur dioxide discharges was noted followed by a fresh lava dome appearing on its apex. The next 2 months saw some 300 rock fall events with steam and lava emitting from Mayon‟s peak bringing about tens of thousands of evacuations from the area.
Authorities fear a major eruption is eminent at the time of writing
Mayon‟s most catastrophic eruption took place in 1814, and while its lava flow was not as profuse as other eruptions, it discharged millions of tons of volcanic ash covering the terrain with up to 30 feet (9 meters) of debris and completely burying the town of Cagsawa with tephra. The countryside was devastated, trees destroyed and rivers damaged with 2,200 people losing their lives. Its accretion of atmospheric ash was believed to have contributed to the world‟s “Year Without Summer” of 1816.
There have been many eruptions and earthquakes emanate from Mayon since, causing tens of thousands of evacuations without casualty until 2013 when a phreatic eruption (steam explosions) lasting 73 seconds killed 4 tourists and their tour guide.
In August 2014, a surge in sulphur dioxide discharges was noted followed by a fresh lava dome appearing on its apex. The next 2 months saw some 300 rock fall events with steam and lava emitting from Mayon‟s peak bringing about tens of thousands of evacuations from the area.
Authorities fear a major eruption is eminent at the time of writing
The Taal volcano, with 33 recorded eruptions is the second most active volcano in the Philippines. Not only is it the world‟s smallest volcano, it has been the Philippines most deadly with almost 6000 deaths documented from six of its eruption throughout history. All of these eruptions have transpired on an island sitting almost in the center of the Taal Lake in Batangas, Luzon, named Volcano Island.
Ongoing communities are prohibited on the island, however, poor families have settled there to take advantage of the abundant fishing from the lakes waters and farming from the fertile volcanic soil. Being one of the most beautiful scenic attractions in the Philippines with its unique make of an island inside a lake, they could also take advantage of tourism to the island.
Eruptions during the 1700‟s closed the Taal Lake from the sea, trapping sardines causing them to evolve into freshwater fish and they are now the world‟s only fresh water species of sardine. They are the staple food fish of the Filipino, being eaten dried and salted and have been commercially fished from the Taal Lake for hundreds of years. The Giant Trevally was also a regular catch for the fisherman in Lake Taal.
The most destructive eruption in the Philippines was that of the Taal Volcano in 1911. The loud shocks and explosions taking place woke residents of Manila 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the South. There was absolute devastation on Volcano Island with the official death toll being registered at 1,335. However, all seven barangays present on the island along with their records were completely wiped out and the death toll is believed to be much higher.
Ongoing communities are prohibited on the island, however, poor families have settled there to take advantage of the abundant fishing from the lakes waters and farming from the fertile volcanic soil. Being one of the most beautiful scenic attractions in the Philippines with its unique make of an island inside a lake, they could also take advantage of tourism to the island.
Eruptions during the 1700‟s closed the Taal Lake from the sea, trapping sardines causing them to evolve into freshwater fish and they are now the world‟s only fresh water species of sardine. They are the staple food fish of the Filipino, being eaten dried and salted and have been commercially fished from the Taal Lake for hundreds of years. The Giant Trevally was also a regular catch for the fisherman in Lake Taal.
The most destructive eruption in the Philippines was that of the Taal Volcano in 1911. The loud shocks and explosions taking place woke residents of Manila 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the South. There was absolute devastation on Volcano Island with the official death toll being registered at 1,335. However, all seven barangays present on the island along with their records were completely wiped out and the death toll is believed to be much higher.
The most famous of all volcanic eruptions in the Philippines was that of Mount Pinatubo, near Angeles City and Clark Air Base.
Before Mount Pinatubo‟s 1991 eruption it was a typical and heavily eroded mountain. It was heavily forested and supported many thousands of indigenous Filipino people (Aeta). Its last eruption is believed to have been about 500 years ago and it was listed as a non-active volcano.
On the fifteenth of June 1991, Mount Pinatubo awakened from a 500 year sopor to become the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, only surpassed by the 1912 eruption
of Novarupta, a new volcano on the Alaska Peninsula in Katmai National Park and Reserve. Pinatubo produced 10 times the amount of magma than that of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the U.S.A.
Although more than 800 people died and 100,000 became homeless, it is estimated that 5,000 lives and at least $250 million in property were saved because the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the U.S Geological Survey had predicted the eruption. Most commercial airlines avoided the damaging ash cloud with prior warnings, however a number of craft flying to the far west of the Philippines encountered ash causing $100 million in damage to aircraft.
Parallel in magnitude to the 1906 San Francisco quake, a 7.8 earthquake struck 100 kilometers northeast of Mount Pinatubo on July 16, 1990. Apart from a few minor steam emissions from Pinatubo it seemed unaffected by the earthquake and remained in its 500 year old dormant state. However, early in 1991, magma began rising to the surface of Pinatubo from some 32 kilometers below causing thousands of small earthquakes and strong steam explosions with many thousands of tons of pernicious sulfur dioxide being emitted.
In mid-March, 1991 earthquakes began to rock villagers who lived on the slopes of Pinatubo, including about 30000 indigenous Filipinos (Aetas) who had fled the lowlands in 1565 to escape ill-treatment by the Spanish and set up some 25 barangays who hunted and gathered very successfully in the dense forests. They survived by growing crops of wheat, barley and rice and raising animals.
Before Mount Pinatubo‟s 1991 eruption it was a typical and heavily eroded mountain. It was heavily forested and supported many thousands of indigenous Filipino people (Aeta). Its last eruption is believed to have been about 500 years ago and it was listed as a non-active volcano.
On the fifteenth of June 1991, Mount Pinatubo awakened from a 500 year sopor to become the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, only surpassed by the 1912 eruption
of Novarupta, a new volcano on the Alaska Peninsula in Katmai National Park and Reserve. Pinatubo produced 10 times the amount of magma than that of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the U.S.A.
Although more than 800 people died and 100,000 became homeless, it is estimated that 5,000 lives and at least $250 million in property were saved because the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the U.S Geological Survey had predicted the eruption. Most commercial airlines avoided the damaging ash cloud with prior warnings, however a number of craft flying to the far west of the Philippines encountered ash causing $100 million in damage to aircraft.
Parallel in magnitude to the 1906 San Francisco quake, a 7.8 earthquake struck 100 kilometers northeast of Mount Pinatubo on July 16, 1990. Apart from a few minor steam emissions from Pinatubo it seemed unaffected by the earthquake and remained in its 500 year old dormant state. However, early in 1991, magma began rising to the surface of Pinatubo from some 32 kilometers below causing thousands of small earthquakes and strong steam explosions with many thousands of tons of pernicious sulfur dioxide being emitted.
In mid-March, 1991 earthquakes began to rock villagers who lived on the slopes of Pinatubo, including about 30000 indigenous Filipinos (Aetas) who had fled the lowlands in 1565 to escape ill-treatment by the Spanish and set up some 25 barangays who hunted and gathered very successfully in the dense forests. They survived by growing crops of wheat, barley and rice and raising animals.
These quakes forced volcanologist to study the mountain and on April 2 after villagers were sprayed with volcanic ash from vent explosions, 5000 people were evacuated. The continued earthquakes and explosions brought about a level 3 alert on June 5 as authorities believed a major eruption was eminent. June 7-12 saw the first magma appear on the surface of Pinatubo which lead to the calling of a level 5 alert on June 9. The next day all 18000 personnel from Clark Air Base were evacuated, some to Subic Naval Station, but most returned to The United States and on June 12 a total evacuation to a radius 30 kilometers of the volcano was enforced.
More highly gas charged magma began building up on Pinatubo's surface and at 1:42pm on June 15 the mountain exploded in a destructive eruption that lasted for 9 hours and exuding more than 5 cubic kilometers of volcanic substances. An ash cloud rose to 35 kilometers into the air with a blanket of volcanic ash covering the surrounding areas. Satellites tracked the resulting ash cloud several times around the world.
Immense slides of searing hot ash, gas, and rock fragments thundered down the slopes of Mount Pinatubo, filling deep depressions with fresh volcanic deposits as much as 200 meters thick. The eruption removed so much magma and rock from below the volcano that the summit collapsed to form a large volcanic depression (caldera) 2.5 kilometers across
At the same time the eruption struck, the area was being ravage by typhoon Yunyan bringing about heavy rainfall. The volcanic ash mixed with water vapor caused a torrent of tephra (volcanic rock fragments) to fall right across the island of Luzon. The deposits measured up to 33 centimeters deep in places and 10 centimeters of ash ariled 2000 square kilometers of land. Most of the deaths occurred from the weight of ash collapsing roofs and killing occupants. If Typhoon Yunyan had not been present at the time the death toll and damage would have been far less.
Mount Pinatubo expelled up to 30 million tons of sulfur dioxide gas and this mixed with water and oxygen in the atmosphere produces sulfuric acid. The result is damage to the ozone layer and during 1992-1993 the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica grew to levels never before being recorded.
More highly gas charged magma began building up on Pinatubo's surface and at 1:42pm on June 15 the mountain exploded in a destructive eruption that lasted for 9 hours and exuding more than 5 cubic kilometers of volcanic substances. An ash cloud rose to 35 kilometers into the air with a blanket of volcanic ash covering the surrounding areas. Satellites tracked the resulting ash cloud several times around the world.
Immense slides of searing hot ash, gas, and rock fragments thundered down the slopes of Mount Pinatubo, filling deep depressions with fresh volcanic deposits as much as 200 meters thick. The eruption removed so much magma and rock from below the volcano that the summit collapsed to form a large volcanic depression (caldera) 2.5 kilometers across
At the same time the eruption struck, the area was being ravage by typhoon Yunyan bringing about heavy rainfall. The volcanic ash mixed with water vapor caused a torrent of tephra (volcanic rock fragments) to fall right across the island of Luzon. The deposits measured up to 33 centimeters deep in places and 10 centimeters of ash ariled 2000 square kilometers of land. Most of the deaths occurred from the weight of ash collapsing roofs and killing occupants. If Typhoon Yunyan had not been present at the time the death toll and damage would have been far less.
Mount Pinatubo expelled up to 30 million tons of sulfur dioxide gas and this mixed with water and oxygen in the atmosphere produces sulfuric acid. The result is damage to the ozone layer and during 1992-1993 the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica grew to levels never before being recorded.
Within two hours of the eruption, the resultant plume of gasses and ash rose 34 kilometers into the atmosphere and over 400 kilometers wide making it the largest disturbance of the stratosphere since the eruption of Krakatau in 1883. Within one year the cloud had engulfed the earth and the average planet temperatures had been reduced by .4 to .5°C. The peak decrease in global temperature come about in August 1992 with a reduction of 0.73°C. The eruption is believed to have caused such events as 1993 floods along the Mississippi river and the drought in the Sahel region of Africa. The United States experienced its third coldest and third wettest summer in 77 years during 1992.
The eruption of Mount Pinatubo caused almost 500 million dollars in property and economic damage. The economy of central Luzon was totally disrupted. There were 4,979 homes destroyed and 70,257 damaged. The following year 3,281 homes were destroyed and 3,137 were damaged. Another Mount Pinatubo eruption in August 1992 killed 72 people.
The United States military never returned to Clark Air Base, turning over the damaged base to the Philippine government on November 26, 1991.
The eruption of Mount Pinatubo caused almost 500 million dollars in property and economic damage. The economy of central Luzon was totally disrupted. There were 4,979 homes destroyed and 70,257 damaged. The following year 3,281 homes were destroyed and 3,137 were damaged. Another Mount Pinatubo eruption in August 1992 killed 72 people.
The United States military never returned to Clark Air Base, turning over the damaged base to the Philippine government on November 26, 1991.
The name Socorro “Coring” Ramos (also affectionately known as Nanay Coring) may not be recognized as someone of great success in the Philippines, however, this softly spoken matriarch from humble beginnings is the most successful business woman in the country.
The 97 year old Nana Coring has taken a small school supplies store to a highly successful empire with over 200 branches nationwide. She is the founder of the “National Book Store” that everyone has heard of and at 97 years of age she is still imparting entrepreneurial acumen on Filipinos with dreams of succeeding in life.
Socorro (born on 23rd September, 1923) grew up in modest resources with her five siblings. At 5 years old she began helping her mother sell produce (bananas, vinegar and wooden shoes) at the local wet market in Sta, Cruz, (Laguna). Ramos finished High School but business at the wet market went bad following the death of her father and the family moved to Manila.
From the age of 12 she helped the family financially in a variety of jobs in a candy factory, cigarette factory, clothing factory and as a restaurant waitress. In 1940 at 18 years old she began working as a salesgirl in a bookstore owned by her brother and his wife, “The Goodwill Bookstore” in Escolta.
The 97 year old Nana Coring has taken a small school supplies store to a highly successful empire with over 200 branches nationwide. She is the founder of the “National Book Store” that everyone has heard of and at 97 years of age she is still imparting entrepreneurial acumen on Filipinos with dreams of succeeding in life.
Socorro (born on 23rd September, 1923) grew up in modest resources with her five siblings. At 5 years old she began helping her mother sell produce (bananas, vinegar and wooden shoes) at the local wet market in Sta, Cruz, (Laguna). Ramos finished High School but business at the wet market went bad following the death of her father and the family moved to Manila.
From the age of 12 she helped the family financially in a variety of jobs in a candy factory, cigarette factory, clothing factory and as a restaurant waitress. In 1940 at 18 years old she began working as a salesgirl in a bookstore owned by her brother and his wife, “The Goodwill Bookstore” in Escolta.
The brother of Socorro’s brother’s wife. Jose Ramos, also worked at The Goodwill Bookstore. They met, fell in love and married in 1942.
Socorro was later appointed manager of the bookstore and her brother and sister-in-law decided
to sell the store to Socorro and Jose. They renamed the bookstore as “National Bookstore” and they built it to what it is today. Some have guessed at how Socorro came up with the name but she says herself that it came from the brand of the cash register they used.
Their success was interrupted during World War 11, when the Japanese issued strict book censorship and the couple resorted to selling soap, candy and slippers. They also sold whisky as the US was preparing to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese.
Their business was totally destroyed during the heavy bombing by Filipino/American forces and the pair had to rise from the ashes of World War 11 and start over again from scratch.
With an undying will and determination they reopened their store in 1945, again selling school supplies such as textbooks, notebooks, pad paper and pencils. The bookstore flourished with little competition.
Socorro was later appointed manager of the bookstore and her brother and sister-in-law decided
to sell the store to Socorro and Jose. They renamed the bookstore as “National Bookstore” and they built it to what it is today. Some have guessed at how Socorro came up with the name but she says herself that it came from the brand of the cash register they used.
Their success was interrupted during World War 11, when the Japanese issued strict book censorship and the couple resorted to selling soap, candy and slippers. They also sold whisky as the US was preparing to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese.
Their business was totally destroyed during the heavy bombing by Filipino/American forces and the pair had to rise from the ashes of World War 11 and start over again from scratch.
With an undying will and determination they reopened their store in 1945, again selling school supplies such as textbooks, notebooks, pad paper and pencils. The bookstore flourished with little competition.
Then the 1968 typhoon Gene again destroyed their business drenching all of their goods. They once again had to start again with an even stronger determination to succeed, barely sleeping three hours a day.
Socorro started producing greetings cards in the 1950s. These greeting cards, featuring Filipino scenes and artwork, were an entirely new concept in the Philippines. National Bookstore solidified their hold of the greeting cards market when they secured the Philippine franchise of Hallmark cards. Also around the 1950s, National Bookstore was granted license by international publishers.
Socorro does not believe in luck. She was quoted as saying: “Whenever I want something I really work hard to get it. There’s no such thing as luck.” On another occasion, she said: “If you want something hard and you really work hard for it, you will get it.” Success may not come overnight.
This is just another inspiring story of the Filipino drive to succeed that should encourage Pinoy’s to work hard for success.
Socorro started producing greetings cards in the 1950s. These greeting cards, featuring Filipino scenes and artwork, were an entirely new concept in the Philippines. National Bookstore solidified their hold of the greeting cards market when they secured the Philippine franchise of Hallmark cards. Also around the 1950s, National Bookstore was granted license by international publishers.
Socorro does not believe in luck. She was quoted as saying: “Whenever I want something I really work hard to get it. There’s no such thing as luck.” On another occasion, she said: “If you want something hard and you really work hard for it, you will get it.” Success may not come overnight.
This is just another inspiring story of the Filipino drive to succeed that should encourage Pinoy’s to work hard for success.
There is very little reliable information about Lapulapu’s life before or after the famous “Battle of Mactan” where his warriors fought and defeated Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan at dawn on April 27, 1521. Magellan was killed in the battle and prolonged the Spanish occupation of the Philippines for more than forty years until Miquel López de Legazpi conquered the Philippines in 1664. Known records tell us that he was a chief of Mactan in the Vasayas and a fierce rival of Rajah Humabon of neighboring Cebu.
Today he is recognized as the Philippines first hero, being the first native Filipino to resist Spanish colonization but even the name Lapulapu is up for debate. The earliest record of his name was in the diaries of Italian diarist Antonio Pigafetta who accompanied Magellan on his voyage. In his record of events he names two chiefs of Mactan, Zula and Cilapulapu in an undisputed source of facts.
No European who left a record of Magellan's voyage knew what Lapulapu looked like, heard him speak (his recorded words of defiance and pride are all indirect, reported speeches), or mentioned that he was even present in the battle that made him famous. His name, origins, religion, and fate are still a matter of dispute.
In an annotation for his 1890 edition of an Antonio de Morga’s (a Spanish soldier, lawyer and high ranking official) 1609 book, Jose Rizal spelled his name as Si Lapulapu but never actually mentions him by name in his own writings.
There have been many folk accounts about Lapulapu’s origin. One is that Mactan was once ruled by datu (a chief) named Mangal and later succeeded by his son named Lapulapu.
A more reliable one is compiled and written in the book “Aginid” from oral accounts from the last King of Cebu, Rajah Tupas. It relates to the founding of the Rajahnate of Cebu and through a succession of Kings.
Today he is recognized as the Philippines first hero, being the first native Filipino to resist Spanish colonization but even the name Lapulapu is up for debate. The earliest record of his name was in the diaries of Italian diarist Antonio Pigafetta who accompanied Magellan on his voyage. In his record of events he names two chiefs of Mactan, Zula and Cilapulapu in an undisputed source of facts.
No European who left a record of Magellan's voyage knew what Lapulapu looked like, heard him speak (his recorded words of defiance and pride are all indirect, reported speeches), or mentioned that he was even present in the battle that made him famous. His name, origins, religion, and fate are still a matter of dispute.
In an annotation for his 1890 edition of an Antonio de Morga’s (a Spanish soldier, lawyer and high ranking official) 1609 book, Jose Rizal spelled his name as Si Lapulapu but never actually mentions him by name in his own writings.
There have been many folk accounts about Lapulapu’s origin. One is that Mactan was once ruled by datu (a chief) named Mangal and later succeeded by his son named Lapulapu.
A more reliable one is compiled and written in the book “Aginid” from oral accounts from the last King of Cebu, Rajah Tupas. It relates to the founding of the Rajahnate of Cebu and through a succession of Kings.
The Real Audiencia de Manila, the governing body of Spanish East Indies, including Guam and the Philippines and the highest assembly within the Captaincy General of the Philippines, sent the judge of the Royal Audiencias and Chancillerías Simón de Anda y Salazar to Bulacan to organize a resistance against the British. He was also appointed Lieutenant Governor and Visitor General.
He rapidly acquired strong endorsements, raising an army of over 10,000 to effectively keep the British restricted to Manila.
Anda arrogated the position of Governor under the legislative act of the Council of the Indies which authorized the delegation of control from the Governor to the Audiencia “In cases of riot or invasion by foreign forces.” Anda, being the highest member of the Audiencia not captive by the British, assumed all powers.
The “Treaty of Paris” was signed in 1763 following the conclusion of the “Seven Year War”, however, the signatories were unaware that Manila had been captured by the British and it therefore fell under the precondition that “all other lands not otherwise stipulated be returned to the Spanish.”
The British were therefore, forced to recognize Simón de Anda y Salazar as Governor of the Philippines and ended their occupation of Manila and Cavite in April 1774.
He rapidly acquired strong endorsements, raising an army of over 10,000 to effectively keep the British restricted to Manila.
Anda arrogated the position of Governor under the legislative act of the Council of the Indies which authorized the delegation of control from the Governor to the Audiencia “In cases of riot or invasion by foreign forces.” Anda, being the highest member of the Audiencia not captive by the British, assumed all powers.
The “Treaty of Paris” was signed in 1763 following the conclusion of the “Seven Year War”, however, the signatories were unaware that Manila had been captured by the British and it therefore fell under the precondition that “all other lands not otherwise stipulated be returned to the Spanish.”
The British were therefore, forced to recognize Simón de Anda y Salazar as Governor of the Philippines and ended their occupation of Manila and Cavite in April 1774.
The “Aginid” relates to Lapulapu as Lapulapu Dimantag arriving from Borneo in the time of Rajah Humabon. He asked Humabon for a place to settle, and the king offered him the region of Mandawili (now Mandaue), including the island known as Opong, hoping that Lapulapu's people would cultivate the land. They were successful in this, and the influx of farm produce from Mandawili enriched the trade of the already busy Cebu port of Sugbo further.
The relationship between Lapulapu and Humabon deteriorated when Lapulapu turned to piracy. He began raiding merchant ships passing the island of Opong, affecting trade in Sugbo. The island thus earned the name Mangatang (those who lie in wait), later evolving to "Mactan"
Lapulapu was one of the two datus of Mactan before the Spanish arrived in the archipelago, the other being Zula. When Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines in the service of Spain, Zula was one of those who gave tribute to the Spanish king while Lapulapu refused.
According to Antonio Pigafetta’s diaries the Magellan led forces of around sixty Spaniards and twenty to thirty war boats (karakoa) of Humabon's warriors from Cebu left at midnight of April 27, 1521 arriving in Mactan three hours before dawn. However, because of the presence of rock outcroppings and coral reefs, Magellan's ships could not land on the shores of Mactan. Their ships were forced to anchor "two crossbow flights" away from the beach. They faced around 1,500 warriors of Lapulapu armed with iron swords, bows, and "bamboo" spears.
The relationship between Lapulapu and Humabon deteriorated when Lapulapu turned to piracy. He began raiding merchant ships passing the island of Opong, affecting trade in Sugbo. The island thus earned the name Mangatang (those who lie in wait), later evolving to "Mactan"
Lapulapu was one of the two datus of Mactan before the Spanish arrived in the archipelago, the other being Zula. When Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines in the service of Spain, Zula was one of those who gave tribute to the Spanish king while Lapulapu refused.
According to Antonio Pigafetta’s diaries the Magellan led forces of around sixty Spaniards and twenty to thirty war boats (karakoa) of Humabon's warriors from Cebu left at midnight of April 27, 1521 arriving in Mactan three hours before dawn. However, because of the presence of rock outcroppings and coral reefs, Magellan's ships could not land on the shores of Mactan. Their ships were forced to anchor "two crossbow flights" away from the beach. They faced around 1,500 warriors of Lapulapu armed with iron swords, bows, and "bamboo" spears.
Magellan repeated his offer not to attack them if Lapulapu swore loyalty to Rajah Humabon, obeyed the Spanish king, and paid tribute, which Lapulapu again rejected. Magellan, hoping to impress Humabon's warriors with the superiority of European armor and weapons, told Humabon's men to remain in their balangay (a type of lashed-lug boat built by joining planks edge-to-edge using pins, dowels, and fiber lashings). Magellan and forty-nine of the heavily armored Spaniards waded ashore to meet Lapulapu's forces. They set fire to a few houses on the shore in an attempt to scare them. Instead, Lapulapu's warriors became infuriated and charged. Two Spaniards were killed immediately in the fighting, and Magellan was wounded in the leg with a poisoned arrow. He ordered a retreat, which most of his men followed except for a few who remained to protect him. However, he was recognized as the captain by the natives and became the focus of the attack. Outnumbered and encumbered by their armor, Magellan's forces were quickly overwhelmed. Magellan and several of his men were killed, and the rest escaped to the waiting ships.
On April 27, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte declared April 27 (the date when Battle of Mactan happened) as Lapu-Lapu Day for honoring as the first hero in the country who defeated foreign rule. Duterte also signed Executive Order No. 17 creating the Order of Lapu-Lapu which recognizes the services of government workers and private citizens in relation to the campaigns and advocacies of the President.
On April 27, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte declared April 27 (the date when Battle of Mactan happened) as Lapu-Lapu Day for honoring as the first hero in the country who defeated foreign rule. Duterte also signed Executive Order No. 17 creating the Order of Lapu-Lapu which recognizes the services of government workers and private citizens in relation to the campaigns and advocacies of the President.
When the British passenger ship, RMS Titanic hit an iceberg and sank, killing 1503 people in the icy North Atlantic waters on the 15th of April 1912, it became the most enduring maritime disaster in history.
The 1997 Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet epic romantic movie “Titanic” which dramatically, further depicted the disaster as the world’s worst.
The fact is, while a terrible disaster with massive loss of life, The Titanic sinking is nowhere near the worst maritime disaster and there have been more prolific loss of life in maritime incidences that have
received little or no recognition.
For instance, on the 24th of May, 1914, Just 25 months after the Titanic
disaster, the Canadian passenger liner RMS Empress of Ireland, collided with the Norwegian SS Storstad, sinking, and killing 1024 passengers in the St. Lawrence River. While a couple of second rate movies where produced, The Empress of Ireland disaster has received no world recognition.
The Philippines’ itself has less than a desirable maritime record with an estimated 40000 lives lost each year. It has what is recorded as the worst peace time maritime disaster ever, with a loss estimated at 4386 lives.
The 1997 Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet epic romantic movie “Titanic” which dramatically, further depicted the disaster as the world’s worst.
The fact is, while a terrible disaster with massive loss of life, The Titanic sinking is nowhere near the worst maritime disaster and there have been more prolific loss of life in maritime incidences that have
received little or no recognition.
For instance, on the 24th of May, 1914, Just 25 months after the Titanic
disaster, the Canadian passenger liner RMS Empress of Ireland, collided with the Norwegian SS Storstad, sinking, and killing 1024 passengers in the St. Lawrence River. While a couple of second rate movies where produced, The Empress of Ireland disaster has received no world recognition.
The Philippines’ itself has less than a desirable maritime record with an estimated 40000 lives lost each year. It has what is recorded as the worst peace time maritime disaster ever, with a loss estimated at 4386 lives.
The Philippines registered passenger ferry “Dona Paz” was a Japanese ship originally named “Himeyuri Maru”. Filipino owned Sulpicio Lines, who operated a fleet of passenger vessels, purchased the Japanese ship in 1975 and named it “Don Sulpicio”. In 1979, the Don Sulpicio, while sailing from Manila to Cebu, was declared a total insurance loss after being gutted by fire, although all 1,164 passengers survived. Sulpicio Lines underwriters repurchased, refurbished and returned the wreckage to full service as the “Dona Paz”
The Dona Paz began doing twice a week trips from Manila to Tacloban, Catbalogan and return until on the 20th December 1987 it had left Tacloban City, Leyte bound for Manila via Catbalogan City, Samar. While most of the passengers slept along the Tablas Strait, near Marindugue, it crashed into the MT Vector, an oil tanker bound for Masbate from Bataan. The Vector was transporting 280,000 gallons of Caltex Philippines owned Petroleum and it’s by products.
On impact the Vector cargo exploded, quickly igniting both ships into floating infernos. There were later reports from survivors of no available life jackets aboard the Dona Paz and survivors jumping into flaming, shark infested waters among hundreds of charred bodies. Both ships had sunk within 4 hours, however, Philippines maritime authorities did not even learn of the incident until 8 hours after it had occurred and it took a further 8 hours to organize search and rescue operations.
The Dona Paz began doing twice a week trips from Manila to Tacloban, Catbalogan and return until on the 20th December 1987 it had left Tacloban City, Leyte bound for Manila via Catbalogan City, Samar. While most of the passengers slept along the Tablas Strait, near Marindugue, it crashed into the MT Vector, an oil tanker bound for Masbate from Bataan. The Vector was transporting 280,000 gallons of Caltex Philippines owned Petroleum and it’s by products.
On impact the Vector cargo exploded, quickly igniting both ships into floating infernos. There were later reports from survivors of no available life jackets aboard the Dona Paz and survivors jumping into flaming, shark infested waters among hundreds of charred bodies. Both ships had sunk within 4 hours, however, Philippines maritime authorities did not even learn of the incident until 8 hours after it had occurred and it took a further 8 hours to organize search and rescue operations.
Only 26 survivors were pulled from the waters (24 from Dona Paz, 2 from The Vector), most with varying degrees of burns from the flaming water. Official Sulpicio manifest of the Dona Paz showed only 1493 passengers and 60 crew members, however many illegally purchased tickets did not appear on the manifest along with children under 4 years of age. Survivors claimed that the ferry carried in access of 4000 passengers with people sleeping along passage ways and on boat decks. Of 21 bodies officially identified five days after the accident as being on board the Dona Paz, only one appeared on the official manifest. Of the surviving passengers from the Dona Paz just 5 appeared on the manifest.
In 1988 the PNBI (Philippines National Bureau of Investigations), based on interviews with family members, announced that there was at least 3,099 passengers and 59 crew on board the Dona Paz. In 1999, based on court records and over 4100 settlement claims, a presidential task force listed the number of passengers at 4341. With 24 survivors and the 58 crew members who died the death toll on board the Dona Paz was put at 4375. With 11 dying aboard the Vector, the total death toll was 4386.
The “Titanic” movie received many awards, but anything aboard the Titanic on its fateful day, pales into deep insignificance to the events of 20th December 1987 along the Philippines Tablas Strait.
In 1988 the PNBI (Philippines National Bureau of Investigations), based on interviews with family members, announced that there was at least 3,099 passengers and 59 crew on board the Dona Paz. In 1999, based on court records and over 4100 settlement claims, a presidential task force listed the number of passengers at 4341. With 24 survivors and the 58 crew members who died the death toll on board the Dona Paz was put at 4375. With 11 dying aboard the Vector, the total death toll was 4386.
The “Titanic” movie received many awards, but anything aboard the Titanic on its fateful day, pales into deep insignificance to the events of 20th December 1987 along the Philippines Tablas Strait.
The Philippines leads the world in many aspects of life. Efren Reyes is considered the best pool player to ever live, Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno is considered the greatest ten pin bowler of all time, Manny Pacquiao is said to be the greatest boxer of all time, the Philippines basketball team was the first to score 100 points in Olympic competition and the list goes on.
The Philippines Eagle is the world’s largest bird of prey and the Philippines Tarzier is the world’s smallest primate. The Philippines is the largest archipelagos in the world. It is the text capital of the world and it is the world’s largest producer of coconuts. The world’s largest pearl was discovered in the Philippines and it is the world’s largest supplier of nurses worldwide. I could go on almost indefinitely but let’s just have a quick look at the Philippines amazing marine life.
The Philippines forms an ocean region that has long been recognized as the world’s most diverse center of marine life among 400-500 species of coral, forming a coral reef only second in size to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The Philippines has the richest concentration of marine life on this planet.
The Philippines Eagle is the world’s largest bird of prey and the Philippines Tarzier is the world’s smallest primate. The Philippines is the largest archipelagos in the world. It is the text capital of the world and it is the world’s largest producer of coconuts. The world’s largest pearl was discovered in the Philippines and it is the world’s largest supplier of nurses worldwide. I could go on almost indefinitely but let’s just have a quick look at the Philippines amazing marine life.
The Philippines forms an ocean region that has long been recognized as the world’s most diverse center of marine life among 400-500 species of coral, forming a coral reef only second in size to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The Philippines has the richest concentration of marine life on this planet.
The Philippines exposes an astonishing assortment of marine life. Aside from the coral it has 5,000 species of mollusks, almost 1,000 species of bottom-living algae, 1,200 species of crab and thousands of other organisms that call the Philippines their home. Five of the world’s seven known species of sea turtle reside in Philippines waters and the list is growing rapidly with further discoveries. In 1953, 1815 of the world’s 2,145 fish species were recorded in the Philippines but today there are 2,824 species listed as part of Philippines marine life.
If that is not enough, The Philippines is home to the greatest number of endemic fish species in the world. Global Biodiversity System on Finfish, “FishBase”, lists a total of 96 endemic marine fish species for the Philippines, up from 64 in 2004. Let’s look at a few.
The Dwarf Pygmy Goby or Philippine Goby, found in brackish water and mangrove, are one of the world’s smallest fish species by mass and also the world’s shortest freshwater fish. At maturity they can grow up to 1.1 cm (0.59 inches) with an average weight of between 4-5 mg. You will need quite a few for a decent meal.
Endemic to areas around Luzon including Manila, Bataan and Cavite, the Kanduli or Manila Sea Catfish is commercially fished. The male incubates the eggs in its mouth and the young leave for short periods after hatching to feed but return to the mouth when distressed. The parent fish does not eat until the young become independent at 30-44 mm, contracting their stomach significantly.
If that is not enough, The Philippines is home to the greatest number of endemic fish species in the world. Global Biodiversity System on Finfish, “FishBase”, lists a total of 96 endemic marine fish species for the Philippines, up from 64 in 2004. Let’s look at a few.
The Dwarf Pygmy Goby or Philippine Goby, found in brackish water and mangrove, are one of the world’s smallest fish species by mass and also the world’s shortest freshwater fish. At maturity they can grow up to 1.1 cm (0.59 inches) with an average weight of between 4-5 mg. You will need quite a few for a decent meal.
Endemic to areas around Luzon including Manila, Bataan and Cavite, the Kanduli or Manila Sea Catfish is commercially fished. The male incubates the eggs in its mouth and the young leave for short periods after hatching to feed but return to the mouth when distressed. The parent fish does not eat until the young become independent at 30-44 mm, contracting their stomach significantly.
Many consider the Bigaong or Silver Perch the most delectable fish in the Philippines. The species is endemic to Luzon and still found in great numbers in Lake Taal and the Pampanga River.
Almost every known species of shark and ray reside in Philippine waters. According to “FishBase”, of roughly 163 species in the Philippines, 16% are possibly endemic.
The Philippines has much more to offer than just beautiful women.
Almost every known species of shark and ray reside in Philippine waters. According to “FishBase”, of roughly 163 species in the Philippines, 16% are possibly endemic.
The Philippines has much more to offer than just beautiful women.