Voyage of the Balangay

Call it my love of being near the water & anything related to it, or that desire to be part of our nation's history, but I just had to see the Balangay last June, before it sailed off on its grand journey.

The Balangay is known to be the oldest Pre-Hispanic watercraft in the Philippines. With the tapestry of early Filipino culture being intricately woven with living near and by the water, the Balangay was essential in our ancestors' livelihood, travel and community-building.

It was with this high regard for the Balangay, that Kaya ng Pinoy Inc, the group behind the Filipino Mt. Everest expedition, decided to recreate its voyage.

According to Mssrs. Art Valdez and Fred Jamili, to maintain the Balangay's authenticity, they invited Badjao boat-builders, who worked with native carpentry tools, like the patok and katam. With DENR's permission, they harvested wood from as far as Tawi-Tawi for the boat's shell.


The expedition has 3 major legs from 2009 to 2011. This year, the team will sail through around the Philippines, reaching parts of Southeast Asia in 2010. By 2011, the expedition will have reached Madagascar.

This voyage is quite historic for several reasons. It is the first of its kind in the Philippines. It also has a lofty vision of bringing back a deeper appreciation of the nation's traditions and of maritime consciousness.

Aside from these, the trip also intends to be a means of reaching out to the Filipino seaside communities, as the Kaya ng Pinoy team seeks to address the different social and economic issues they'd encounter along the way. And the best part is, they won't be doing it alone. They're giving other Filipinos a chance both to see the rest of the country and to volunteer, by joining the different legs of the trip.

If you'd like to follow the voyage, check out www.balangay-voyage.com.