CJ must inhibit in Luisita
BY AMADO MACASAET
Balangays to make history
on new Asian tours
BY GENIVI FACTAO
The ancient Balangay replicas will attempt to conquer Southeast Asia and China in the second part of their journey, after the successful voyage in the country’s ports.
The Diwata ng Lahi and Masawa Hong Butuan will be accompanied by the third boat, the latest addition named Sama Tawi Tawi. Balangays were used by Filipino seafarers centuries ago.
The Diwata and Masawa are docked in Zamboanga City for strengthening repairs and logistical preparations in preparation for the next round of voyage. Sama Tawi Tawi will be launched on July 16 in Butuan City.
Diwata is a 66 ft. long boat, Masawa, has 71 ft while Sama, 75 ft. The third boat Sama, has communication equipment and a cabin where voyagers can sleep. It was estimated that the costs for the three bancas could reach P6 million.
Expedition leader Art Valdez of Kaya ng Pinoy Foundation said the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers Inc. (SONAME) and Filipino Association for Mariners Employment (FAME) helped in the measurement of the bancas. Construction of the Balangays were done by local builder based on the study of the Indonesian-Malay boat.
He said the three Balangays will pass by the Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, then to Vietnam and China and back to the Philippines using the same route or use Hongkong and make a shortcut, depending on the physical condition of the bancas.
"The balangay is expected to reach Vietnam in time for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in September and will arrive China by mid October for the 2010 world Expo in Shanghai. We hope that per country visit, we could bring one nationality until we reach China," he said.
"We want balangays to not only be the source of unity for the country but also as source of unity for the whole Asia," he said, adding that the move was a cultural and historical voyage.
Valdez sad the entire round trip will cover 14,000 kilometers, much longer than the Philippine leg of the voyage that ran for 2,500 km.
Valdez added that the Philippines cannot solely claim ownership over Balangay, since it is a regional boat.
The team said they keep their commitment on providing safety which is more important than the destination. They also thanked their sponsors, with the latest addition of San Miguel Corporation.
The Philippine voyage started in Manila on September 1, 2009 and lasted for 8 months. It took 70 stopovers until arriving in Zamboanga last May 1.
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