CEBU, Philippines - Philippine history is filled with heroes past and present who have inspired the nation to achieve one glorious victory after another. This year, yet another testament to Filipino courage, strength and determination will be added to these chronicles: The Philippine Mount Everest Team, considered modern-day heroes, will once again put Filipino resiliency to the test as they embark on an ambitious transatlantic ocean voyage with nothing but a replica of an ancient boat, ancestral seafaring technology, their supporters’ good wishes and a prayer.
Called the Balangay Voyage, the project aims to retrace the migration of our ancestors, who circumnavigated the world onboard the balangay. By highlighting the historical boat, it also aims to promote patriotism and pride in Filipino heritage and tradition, a mission shared by all the project partners who were present at the replica’s unveiling last June 27, 2009 at the CCP Complex in Pasay City.
“The Balangay Voyage will be a perfect showcase of the kind of unbelievable potential that Filipinos can unleash, something Jollibee has always believed in,” remarked Gold F. Tantoco, vice president for marketing of Jollibee, one of the project’s biggest supporters. “We are very privileged to be part of this historic undertaking—in the Filipinos’ effort to expand our borders—a mission that we share as we continue to bring our business overseas and put a Filipino stamp on the global map.”