Samar fisherman hopes to get back giant pearl that could be worth millions

Samar fisherman Andoy and his family stayed in Rizal Park for three days while trying to get his pearl valued in Manila. Photos: KMJS

A fisherman in Samar who found a giant pearl worth millions recently lost possession of his treasure—and he is now trying to get it back.

In an episode of “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho,” Andoy (not his real name) shared how in the days after Typhoon Yolanda ravaged the region, he had been diving to catch fish to feed his family when he found the pearl—an eight-kilogram giant that measured 38 centimeters long and 17 centimeters wide.

"Kasi ‘yung perlas na 'yun, nagkataon lang. Wala kasi kaming ulam kaya pumunta ako ng dagat, kasi siyempre sa buhay nga ng probinsiya, ‘yung bagyong Yolanda pa ’yun," he said. "Naninisid kasi ako. Hindi ko akalain na makita ko ‘yung pearl na 'yun," he said.

Then he saw an episode of KMJS that featured another fisherman in Palawan who also found a giant pearl. That was when he realized what he had found.

"Tapos noong pagkakuha ko noon, eh di ipinakita ko kay Tatay tapos tinago ko, inilibing ko doon sa lupa. Tapos pagkagabi, napanood ko ‘yung galing Palawan. Parang ito na yata ‘yung nakita ko kahapon," he recalled. 

The pearl served as his lucky charm when he went back to the sea to fish, but Andoy said it also brought him misfortune: he injured his foot and ended his relationship with his wife.

"Naghiwalay kami ng misis ko dahil nga sa hirap ng buhay. Wala na akong makain, wala na akong mapuntahan," he said.

Andoy worked in a church mission in Tacloban for three months, then the church lent him P8,500 to travel to Manila to find people who could help him analyze if the pearl he acquired was real.

With the pearl in their possession, Andoy and his children stayed in Luneta for three days before heading to GMA to ask help from “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.”

KMJS consulted the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which confirmed that the pearl was real and could have a value in the millions of pesos.

BFAR said the pearl still needs to undergo carbon dating to determine its age and real value.

Five months later, KMJS returned to Andoy for an update.

He is currently working in construction in Manila—and had pawned his pearl to his boss in exchange for P30,000 and another P46,000.

Andoy said that he and his boss had agreed that she would return the pearl to him when he repaid her, so KMJS lent him the money for this purpose. 

However, Andoy seems to have run into some problems trying to get his prized possession back.

According to the fisherman, his boss told him that the giant pearl is not with her but is kept in a bank. She said that she would return it to him on Monday.

KMJS also tried to contact Andoy's boss, but there was no response from the latter.

So Andoy decided to personally visit his employer. But his boss's mother allegedly threatened to have him killed if he visits them at home, so barangay officials accompanied Andoy to try and get the pearl back. His boss's family refused to open their doors.

Thankfully, the next day, Andoy was able to contact his employer and agreed to meet on Monday to finish their transaction.

Will Andoy finally get his giant pearl back? — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/BM, GMA News