"Balangay" docks at Lapu Yacht Club today

CEBU, Philippines - Cebuanos are invited to witness the historic voyage of the ancient boat – the balangay named “Diwata ng Lahi” – which will arrive here today from her continuous journey around Philippine seas.

The balangay which is similar to the boats built and used hundreds of years ago, is set to sail to every major port in the country. Today, she is to dock at the Cebu Yacht Club in Lapu-Lapu City with her 20-member crew at around 3 p.m.

Her team of navigators will also organize coastal cleanups, tree planting, lectures on Philippine maritime history, and mini-fiestas to rekindle the glorious days of the Filipino seafarers.

A symposium will be conducted at the Lapu-Lapu City Auditorium at 1 p.m. tomorrow by the crew led by the first Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition member Leo Oracion.

According to a statement of the Department of Tourism-7, the “voyage of the balangay” project is expected to revive maritime consciousness in the country by successfully building the ancient boat, a historic proof of the Filipinos ingenious skills in shipbuilding and maritime navigation, and sailing on Philippine seas.

Completed in June of this year, the balangay was presented by the Kaya ng Pinoy Foundation and was later launched into the waters of Manila Bay with the “ngandahig”, the rope-cutting ceremony which eased the ancient boat into the sea.

“This is undertaken to retrace the migration of our ancestors across the oceans using only the native balangay, built faithful to the craftsmanship and materials used during the ancient times,” the statement further reads.

Navigation has also remained accurate to the method that was used by the earliest mariners — steering by the sun, the stars, the wind, cloud formations, wave patterns and bird migrations.

The balangay, a legacy of ancestors handed down through generations, symbolizes the Filipino people’s ingenuity, resiliency, strength, courage, and unity.

Kaya ng Pinoy Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit Filipino organization that pushes for projects which uphold national pride and promote the Filipinos’ unique traits and world-class skills.

The foundation was formed by members of the successful first Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition. — Ehda M. Dagooc/MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)