At his prime age of 31, Dante Ligo made a bold decision to pursue a career at sea as a deck rating. Little did he know that life had a different plan in store for him.

Ligo embarked on his journey with enthusiasm and determination. In 1996, he joined the Peter Döhle fleet through the now-defunct Dohle-Philman Manning Agency as an able-bodied seaman (AB). For seven years, his chosen profession had been stable, and he was content until a piece of bad news hit him.

In 2003, pre-employment medical examinations became more stringent for seafarers. He received unexpected news – he was diagnosed with color blindness.

“Naging AB ako ng ilang taon. Pagkatapos, medyo naging mahigpit ang medical natin at napag-alamang medyo color blind ako. Sabi nga ng medical sa akin, hindi na ako pwede sa posisyon ko bilang isang AB (I became an AB for several years. However, later on, the medical exams became more stringent, and I was found to be color blind. The medical personnel told me that I could no longer work in my position as an AB),” Ligo recalls.

Typically acquired through genetics, color blindness can also be acquired with aging. With this condition, Ligo could no longer distinguish between different signals, warning lights, and sea markers effectively. He was no longer fit to work as an AB, whose responsibilities included navigational watchkeeping.

Faced with this setback, Ligo’s world seemed to crumble. As he walked from the clinic to his agency’s office in Makati, thoughts crossed his mind:

“Mag-aararo nalang ako sa probinsya (I will just become a farmer in my province).”

But he refused to lose hope. Determined to continue his maritime journey, he decided to apply for a position as a mess man.

“Naisip ko, ‘kung hindi na ako pwede maging AB, baka pwede naman akong mag messman.’ Pagbalik ko sa crewing operator ko, tinanong ko kung pwede akong mag messman at pumayag naman siya. Nabuhayan ulit ako ng loob (I thought, ‘if I can no longer be an AB, maybe I can become a messman.’ When I returned to my crewing operator, I asked if I could be a messman, and he agreed. It reignited my spirit),” he shares.

Ligo went back to the clinic, where he was deemed fit to work as a messman onboard. This pivotal moment marked a turning point in Ligo’s life.

Despite starting again at an entry-level position at sea, Ligo was never discouraged and continued sailing with enthusiasm and affection for his work.

After seven years in the position, he approached his captain with a request for promotion to Chief Cook.

“Sabi ko, susubukan kong yung knowledge ko; pwede naman na siguro ako maging chief cook (I told my captain that I wanted to try what I had learned, and I believed that I was qualified to become a chief cook).”

With support, he was advised to write a letter to their office, which was then sent to the shipowners in Germany. He was also told to take a culinary course once he returned home, which he complied with.

In 2010, he went back onboard, and after five months, he was promoted to Chief Cook.

According to the chief cook, he put in a lot of hard work and dedication to his new craft. He would bring volumes of cookbooks and did his best to cook the best meals for his crewmates.

“Tuwing babalik ako ng barko, siguro halos sampung kilo ng libro ang dinadala ko. Araw-araw nagbabasa ako kung anong pwedeng mailuto (Every time I went onboard, I probably brought around 10 kilograms of cookbooks with me. Every day, I would read to learn what I could cook),” he recalls with delight.

To him, it was a chance he could not waste.

In 2017, Ligo retired as an excellent chief cook, filled with a sense of accomplishment and gratitude for the experiences and achievements he had attained. According to him, his crewmates had also been nice to him, allowing him to stay with the company for 22 years—the entirety of his seafaring tenure.

Reflecting on his time with PD, Ligo shares his heartfelt gratitude, saying, “Masaya at tumayo ang balahibo ko habang tinatanaw ang mga nakilapas kong taon sa PD. Sa Döhle, malaki talaga ang ibinigay nila na opportunity sa akin. Maganda din yung trabaho ko; tuluy-tuloy at may magandang sahod. Hindi nila ako pinaghihintay ng matagal tuwing babyahe ako pa-Maynila. Malaking-malaki ang tulong sa akin at sa pamilya ng Döhle at maligaya ako sa naging buhay ko sa PD group (I am happy and thrilled as I look back on my years with PD. They provided me with significant opportunities. I had a good-paying and continuous job. They never made me wait for too long whenever I traveled to Manila. Döhle has been a great help to me and my family, and I am grateful for the life I had with the PD group)!”

Upon retirement, Ligo transitioned to a peaceful life in the province with his wife, Catherine, who works as a nurse. He now tends to his farm—the very same fallback he first thought of when diagnosed with color blindness. The rewards of his maritime career extended beyond his current crops. Through his hard-earned income, he was able to invest in properties in their home province and provide for his family’s needs. His legacy carries on through his son, who followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued a maritime career, and his daughter, a successful professional architect working in a private firm.

Ligo’s journey was one of hard work and perseverance, of which he remains humbly proud.