Diwata ng Lahi

This is an update on the Voyage of the Balangay Project led by Art Valdez. The balangay, named "Diwata ng Lahi", is now finished and it was officially launched yesterday, June 27. Team Balangay will set sail on the first week of July, if weather permits. Below are some pictures taken during the launching. Pictures courtesy of Butuan Global Forum.

The balangay before the launching.

Fr. Joesilo Amalla of Butuan City officiating the Catholic boat blessing rites. (Tausug and Protestant rites were also conducted).

Art Valdez cutting the rope to release the balangay into the water.

The balangay finally on the waters of Manila Bay!


Diwata ng Lahi ready to set sail!

Click HERE to see the complete list of Philippine ports wich will be visited by Team Balangay.

Butuan Pride

I just read on the net that a Butuanon dance group called Next Block Crew bagged the top prize at the Dunkin Donuts Icy Coolers Dance Dunkdown. The contest was held last May 28, 2009 at SM Mall of Asia. The group won in the Young Adults category while another group from General Santos City, Experience Kids, won in the Kids category. Both groups were awarded P100,000 each. Madyaw gid kadyaw ang Butuanon!

A Journey Into History

On June 27, 2009, the Filipino Mount Everest Team, led by Art Valdez, will embark on another journey. This time they will travel by sea aboard a balangay. A balangay is a wooden boat which was used by our ancestors to travel around Southeast Asia to as far as Polynesia in the East and Madagascar in the West.

Balangays, also called Butuan Boats, were dug up in Butuan City in the 70's. These balangays were carbon dated 320 AD.

A sketch of the balangay at the National Museum

One of the original Butuan balangays on display at the Balangay Shrine in Butuan City

Here is a detailed list of places in the Philippines which will be visited by Team Balangay:

1st Leg: MANILA TO BORACAY
1. Manila to Sangley, Cavite 5.3 nautical miles (nm)
2. Ternate, Cavite 17.4 nm
3. Nasugbu, Batangas 19.5 nm
4. Calatagan, Batangas 16.5 nm
5. Batangas City 29.0 nm
6. Puerta Galera, Or. Mindoro 14.2 nm
7. Calapan City, Or. Mindoro 16.0 nm
8. Pola 27.0 nm
9. Maestre de Campo 26 nm
10. Calatrava, Romblon 26.2 nm
11. Odiongan, Tablas 16.7 nm
12. Looc, Romblon 30.0 nm
13. Boracay, Aklan 20.7 nm

2nd Leg: BORACAY TO CEBU CITY/MACTAN
13. Boracay, Aklan
14. Kalibo, Aklan (Port Batan) 38.5 nm
15. Roxas City, Capiz (Port Capiz) 12.5 nm
16. Estancia, Iloilo 51.0 nm
17. Barotac Viejo, Iloilo 42.0 nm
18. Iloilo City, Iloilo 30.8 nm
19. Bacolod City, Negros Occ. 23.3 nm
20. Silay City, Neg Occ 7.5 nm
21. Sagay City, Neg Occ 23.3 nm
22. Bantayan Island, Cebu 40.o nm
23. Daan Bantayan, Cebu 23.4 nm
24. Bogo, Cebu 16.4 nm
25. Danao City, Cebu 35.2 nm
26. Cebu City, Cebu 10.7 nm
27. (Mactan - Cebu Departure)

3rd Leg: MACTAN TO BUTUAN
27. (Mactan - Cebu Departure)
28. Argao, Cebu 27.0 nm
29. Dumaguete City, Negros Or. 38.5 nm
30. Siquijor (Port Canoan), Negros Or. 16.5 nm
31. Panglao, Bohol 28.7 nm
32. Jagna, Bohol 31.5 nm
33. Maasin, Southern Leyte 43.0 nm
34. Limasawa, Southern Leyte 16.6 nm
35. Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte 56.3 nm
36. Butuan City, Agusan del Norte 6.3 nm

4th Leg: BUTUAN TO ZAMBOANGA
36. Butuan City, Agusan del Norte
37. Gingoog, Misamis Or. 25.7 nm
38. Mambajao, Camiguin Island 34.0 nm
39. Cagayan de Oro City 49.7 nm
40. Iligan City, Lanao 48.2 nm
41. Ozamis City, Misamis Occ. 10.5 nm
42. Oroquieta, Mis. Occ. 29.5 nm
43. Dapitan, Dipolog 37.6 nm
44. Liloy, Zamboanga 54.0 nm
45. Ciocon (Port Sta. Maria), 49.0 nm
46. Sibuco, Zamboanga 31.0 nm
47. Zamboanga City 34.8 nm

5th Leg: ZAMBOANGA CITY TO GENERAL SANTOS
47. Zamboanga City
48. Panubigan Island 15.7 nm
49. Bangaan Island,Port Banga 24.2 nm
50. Bagalamatan 16.0 nm
51. Suba Nipa 29.5 nm
52. Limbug Cove 43.6 nm
53. Pagadian City 22.2 nm
54. Port Baras, Cotabato 35.0 nm
55. Cotabato City 25.0 nm
56. Linao Bay, Mati 40.0 nm
57. Port Lebak, Kalamansig 17.0 nm
58. Milbuk Harbor, Milbuk 35.3 nm
59. Kling , South Cotabato 41.5 nm
60. General Santos City 41.5 nm

6th Leg: GENERAL SANTOS CITY TO DAVAO CITY
60. General Santos City
61. Glan, Saranggani 16.0 nm
62. Butulan Cove, Butulan 36.0 nm
63. Jose Abad Santos (Caburan) 22.3 nm
64. Malita, Davao 33.2 nm
65. Digos, Davao Del Sur 25.0 nm
66. Davao City, Port of Sta. Ana 25.3 nm

7th Leg: ZAMBOANGA CITY TO SILUAG
67. Isabela, Basilan
68. Jolo/Patikul, Sulu
69. Siasi, Sulu
70. Tumbagaan Island, Tawi-Tawi
71. Bongao, Tawi-Tawi
72. Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi
73. Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi
74. Siluag Island, Tawi-Tawi

While on port, Team Balangay will conduct several activities in the area which include medical missions, school visitations, coastal cleanup, awareness seminars, and visits to local places of interest.

From Tawi-Tawi, Team Balangay will trace the migration of our ancestors and the ancient trade routes of Southeats Asia.

Catch Team Balangay in your area and be a part of this historic endeavor!

Caraga: Madyaw Kadyaw!

I found this very nice video on Youtube showcasing the best of Caraga Region. Byahe na!

Agusan River Cruise

In the summer of 2005, I participated in the Agusan River Cruise hosted by the Department of Tourism. We started the day at around 8AM. We hopped on the specially painted motorized bancas and headed upstream. I am always in awe of the mighty Agusan River. Loboc River in Bohol pales by a mile in comparison. We rode up to the NIA complex in Bit-os enjoying the view of lush greenery along the river banks, passing by the construction site of the new Butuan Bridge (completed in 2007). We turned back in Bit-os and headed towards Banza, where a local high school choir awaited us. There, we were treated to local snack delicacies and various Butuanon songs.

The next stop was Magallanes. After docking, we were brought by land to the century old Bitaug tree. This tree is recognized by the DENR as the Philippine Centennial Tree. If this tree could talk, it surely has a lot of stories to tell!



Then we went to the Holy Rosary Parish Church. I went inside to say my prayers and later joined the rest of the pack at the Magallanes Marker. This marker was built in 1872 under to commemorate the celebration of the first mass in Mindanao held on April 8, 1521. Then, we had lunch right there in the mini-park surrounding the marker. After feasting on seafoods and local desserts, we continued with our photo ops until we were herded back to our bancas to head back to Butuan City.

Our day continued with a trip to the Regional Museum, after which, we were brought to the Balanghai Shrine in Libertad. These two stops should always go in tandem for a better appreciation of Butuan's history.

Our last stop was at the Buod promontory in Pinamanculan. This eco-park is believed by a lot of historians to be part of the lost isle of Mazzaua, the island which Ferdinand Magellan visited in 1521 where the first Christian mass on Philippine soil took place.

This experience is interesting enough as it is. This is made more exciting with recent news that future tourists and balikbayans will now enjoy the cruise in style. They will be cruising in balanghai replicas!

Read about it here: Balanghai River Cruise and here: DOT Supports New River Cruise in Mindanao.