Balangay “Diwata ng Lahi” lands in Cagayan de Oro City

February 17, 2010

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

Finally, the Balangay “Diwata ng Lahi” and its 20 passengers had landed here at the Macabalan Bay around 2:00 p.m. yesterday for a three-day stay in Cagayan de Oro city.
Expedition leader Art Valdez together with the Filipino Mt. Everest team members Leo Oracion, Carina Dayondon, and Janet Belarmino-Sardena disembarked from the replica of the ancient Balangay and were welcomed by representatives from Mayor Constantino Jaraula’s office.
Also there were top-ranking officials from the regional offices of Department of Tourism (DOT-10), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG-10), Philippine Port Authority (PPA-10) and the Philippine Coastguard among others.
Valdez likened their Balangay Voyage as that of a “reality show” wherein everything is documented and actually experienced by everyone including the problems they meet along the way, their aspirations, and their realizations.
He talked of the social and historical significance of the Balangay, the boat building, the practices and how it now inspires young Filipinos to dig deep down on their cultural roots.
“With our voyage I can see that our young Filipinos’ thirst to know their history,” he told reporters.
Valdez said their Balangay Voyage kicked off last September 1, 2010 and that they have been through typhoons like Ondoy when they were in Luzon and even Typhoon Urduja when they were in Surigao.
But despite these challenges, he said their team members are determined to continue steering the Diwata ng Lahi towards the Zamboanga area passing through Ozamiz City after their three-night stay here in Cagayan de Oro.
“We will then proceed to Malaysia , Borneo , Brunei , Indonesia and Singapore ,” he said adding that the Balangay Voyage would continue to push on until 2013.
The 15 x 3-meter boat was patterned after the Butuan boat displayed in the National Museum which was carbon-dated to 1250 A.D.
The first recovered balangay was excavated in Butuan City , Agusan del Norte, in 1978 and carbon-dated to 320 A.D.
The Balangay expedition group is accompanied by members from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy.
For his part, DOT-10 regional director Catalino “Butch” Chan said that the visit of the Balangay “Diwata ng Lahi” here in the city is a historic event.
“It is a pride for Cagayan de Oro city and the Northern Mindanao Region to be host of one of the lifetime event when they are tracing the early roots of navigation. It is a testament that Filipinos can really do it,” he said.