Pinoy Seafarer Explains Why They Bring Two Months’ Worth of Food on Ships
A seafarer bravely shared the reasons behind the practice of bringing plenty of food before boarding a ship for work.
Recently, Joe Marino PH, a Facebook user, posted a photo showing the food supplies seafarers bring before embarking on their ship duties. The post quickly went viral, eliciting various reactions from netizens.
Seafaring is not just a job but a lifestyle that involves months at sea without touching land. Seamen like Joe often work on cruise ships where they face unique challenges, including irregular meal times despite having free meals provided thrice daily.
The seafarer revealed that one of the key reasons for packing two months’ worth of food is to save money. Food prices onboard, especially for Filipino cuisines, can be expensive. A simple Stick-O snack, which costs around P100 on land, translates to approximately $9.50 when purchased onboard.
The huge difference shows the financial wisdom in bringing affordable snacks like sardines, Sky Flakes, and instant pancit canton. Beyond saving money, packing food supplies serves an important financial planning purpose.
Many seafarers use this strategy to ensure they have funds to cover personal expenses and bills back home during their contract period. It’s a practical strategy born out of necessity.
Joe demonstrates resilience and resourcefulness in ensuring their financial stability and comfort while fulfilling their demanding roles at sea.
Here is the full post:
“Good for 2 months bakit?
Sasampa na naman tayo after 2-3 months vacation syempre ubos na naman yung inipon natin pang bakasyon sa Pinas
Bilang isang seaman sa isang cruise ship kaya madami tayong baon is para makatipid ng 1-2 buwan onboard bakit? Kahit na libre po ang pagkain namin 3 times a day minsan hindi po kami nakaka-kain sa tamang oras kaya minsan na mimissed nmin ung pagkain sa mess.
Kaya sardinas, sky flakes at pancit canton ang susi para sa aming gutom. Maraming hindi nakaka-alam na ang mahal ng pagkain sa barko lalo na pag pinoy food. Example nalang ung stick-0 sa atin 100 petot lang o wala mang 100 petot nung nakita ko sa store sa labas (Pinoy Store) $9.50 imagine ofcourse nag convert ako .
At nag -babaon din kami ng ganyan kadami para lang hindi gumastos ng 1-2 buwan para may pondo kami sa sahod namin para yung monthly bills namin sa pinas ay mabayaran muna minsan kasi pag sasampa kami utang din lahat ang dala namin.
Kaya kayong nanghihingi ng pasalubong pag umuuwi kami magpabaon din kayo pag aalis kami. Charizzz.”
In another post, a former seaman shares tip on door locks to prevent being robbed
The social media users expressed their reactions to the post:
