“Ang malungkot na kwento ng isang binatang Pilipino – Ang kabataan ay napakaganda, ngunit ano ang nagtulak sa kanya na ipagpalit ito at tiisin ang hirap at sakit sa ibabaw ng isang barko sa gitna ng malawak na karagatan? Basahin ang buong kwento sa ibaba.”/th

Just like most Filipinos, Elmer Balbero came from a family of farmers. From a young age, he was already used to farm work because that was their family’s main livelihood. According to reports, his clan and family came from the town of Madela in the province of Quirino, which is part of the Cagayan Valley region.

Aside from planting rice, which depended on the season and weather, they also sometimes planted corn, peanuts, bananas, and cassava. But while it may sound good to others that they owned the land they farmed, what most people don’t know is that managing a farm is extremely difficult. Their meager income shrinks even further during droughts, and they drown in debt whenever typhoons hit.

Although they receive some subsidies from the government, it’s still not enough due to the low prices of their crops. For years, Elmer didn’t give up on farming. But when a strong typhoon devastated their province, he was struck by the painful realization that he had to let go of his dream of lifting his life through farming.

So he sold his carabao and ventured into fishing. But the income was still not enough to cover their daily needs. Desperate to give his family a better life and pay off their debts, Elmer decided he needed to go abroad.

To achieve this goal, he went back to school. After earning his diploma, Elmer gained experience working as a seafarer on ships both within and outside his province. When he had enough experience, he borrowed more money from acquaintances to process his requirements and medical clearances.

Even though his debts were piling up, he remained optimistic that once he got deployed as a seafarer, he could quickly pay everything off because of the high salary. Throughout his struggles, his wife Claire stood by him, always supporting his decisions.

In 2010, when his agency finally gave the green light, Elmer emotionally said goodbye to his family. He boarded a plane from Manila to Singapore, then transferred to another plane bound for the country of Seychelles.

Although it was hard for his wife to raise their children alone, Elmer always told Claire that their lives would soon improve and reassured her that his contract would be over quickly — after six months, they would reunite. When Claire returned to Quirino, she shared that their children immediately missed Elmer and became emotional.

According to reports, unlike typical seafarer jobs on cargo ships, Elmer was assigned to a fishing vessel called FB Naham 3. People in their barangay were happy that he had gone abroad, and many believed his family was finally enjoying a comfortable life. But they didn’t know the harsh reality of being a fisherman on an Asian fishing vessel.

These workers are often out of contact with their families due to their remote ocean locations. Despite being sleep-deprived, they must continue working. To make things worse, some agencies in the Philippines exploit them.

Instead of bringing home large sums of money, these seafarers end up with very little. Worse still is the abusive treatment from some officials on the vessels. If a fisherman dozes off, he might get slapped or punched just to wake him up. But despite the hardships, Elmer remained determined to provide for his family and pay off their debts.

For two years, he endured life at sea. Initially, it was difficult to adjust — it was his first time doing deep-sea fishing. But within weeks, he adapted. Depending on their target catch, FB Naham 3 would travel far — not only in Asia but also to continents like Europe and Africa.

In March 2012, Elmer’s vessel was navigating the southern part of Seychelles, a tropical island nation with beaches and luxury resorts popular among tourists. Locals often warned visitors not to venture too far out to sea due to the threat of Somali pirates.

Since 2007, Somali pirates have become a massive problem, attacking over 100 ships, from cruise liners to oil tankers and fishing vessels. These pirates aren’t just armed with guns — some carry RPGs and rocket launchers capable of sinking ships.

FB Naham 3 planned to fish in the East African coastal zone, a region rich in marine life. Confident they were far from pirate territories, their superiors pushed forward. But upon arrival, they were shocked when pirates attacked.

With limited weapons and most of the crew asleep, FB Naham 3 surrendered quickly. The pirates looted the vessel and took all 26 crew members hostage — five of them were Filipino, the rest from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Elmer’s daughter recounted that at first, they thought he couldn’t call due to poor signal. But a classmate joked that her dad had been kidnapped by pirates — a joke that turned out to be painfully true.

The pirates demanded a $1.5 million ransom. The ship’s captain refused to easily give up the vessel and fought back alone. Tragically, he was killed by the pirates.

This event went largely unnoticed by Philippine media, as they focused on more sensational stories. Elmer’s family felt abandoned by the government.

Years passed — one, two, three — and the pain, hunger, and abuse the hostages suffered intensified. Some hostages died. Others resorted to eating rats or insects just to survive in the jungle where they were held. Elmer described them as “walking dead.”

Eventually, a retired British Colonel named John Steed, along with the group Hostage Support Partners and the United Nations, stepped in to negotiate. A successful operation was carried out, and in 2016, Elmer and three other survivors were rescued and flown to Kenya, then back to the Philippines.

But reintegration wasn’t easy. Elmer didn’t recognize his youngest child and began experiencing PTSD. He had flashbacks, nightmares, and physical pain from the torture he endured.

Years of suffering continue to haunt Elmer, but with the help of his family, he is slowly recovering.