The Voyage of the Balangay

I have to admit I was a bit curious when the word Balangay was brought up. I was like Balangay as in the ancient boat??? I really couldn't believe someone did something like this. This is so GREAT!!! This is like history that is true to form. Something that you can share with your kids. Amazing!!!!

Art Valdez once had an impossible dream. But no order is too tall for the man who conceived, organized and lead the successful Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition to the top of the world’s tallest mountain. Against all odds, including a perennial shortage of funds, his team put the First Filipinos on the Summit of Mt. Everest in 2006. In 2007, the team accomplished the First Women Traverse of Mt. Everest – a feat never before done in world mountaineering history.

Art Valdez’s organizational expertise and rich experience in leading the Mt. Everest Expedition can serve as the guiding light in the accomplishment of this project, his new “Everest.”

If the team can succeed on Mt. Everest without ever having seen snow or high mountain, then more so in the Voyage of the Balangay, an undertaking that has been in the Filipino blood, in Malay tradition, for thousands of years.

The Crew

The core of the crew will be the Philippine Everest Team:

Leo Oracion

Erwin “Pastour” Emata

Noelle Wenceslao

Carina Dayondon

Janet Belarmino-Sardena

Dr. Ted Esguerra

Fred Jamili

Dr. Voltaire Velasco

The rest of the crew will be composed of master sailors, academics and scientists whose selection will be based on the Three C’s:

CAPABILITY to accomplish the task at hand

COMMITMENT to the team and its undertaking

COMPATIBILITY with the team’s core values

The project will showcase and challenge Filipino ingenuity and native survival skills in this modern age by using natural seafaring technology. It also aims to reorient the psyche of our people, that we are a maritime nation, and not land-based, as our colonizers had lead us to believe. Sailing around the country and visiting every major port will rekindle that maritime spirit in us.

The Balangay will become the catalyst to stir up historical consciousness among Filipinos today, a sine qua non in transporting our people to our cherished goals. Without that keen knowledge of history, our people will continue to suffer as our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, aptly described, “Ang marunong hindi lumilingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa patutunguhan.”

LIST OF PORTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

TO BE VISITED BY THE

BALANGAY

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 Island 27.0 nm

9. Maestre de Ocampo Island 26 nm

10. Calatrava, Tablas 26.2 nm

11. Odiongan Island,Tablas 16.7 nm

12. Looc Tablas 30.0 nm

13. Boracay, Riomblon 20.7 nm

14. Kalibo, Aklan (Port Batan) 38.5 nm

15. Roxas City, Roxas (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)

28. Argao, Cebu 27.0 nm

29. Dumaguete City, Negros Or. 38.5 nm

30. Siquijor (Port Canoan) 16.5 nm

31. Panglao, Duias Island, Bohol 28.7 nm

32. Jagna, Bohol 31.5 nm

33. Maasin,Leyte 43.0 nm

34. Limasawa,Leyte 16.6 nm

35. Cabadbaran, Agusan 56.3 nm

36. Butuan City, Agusan 6.3 nm

37. Gingo-og 25.7 nm

38. Camiguin Island (Mambajao ) 34.0 nm

39. Cagayan de Oro City 49.7 nm

40. Iligan City, Lanao 48.2 nm

41. Ozamis City 10.5 nm

42. Oroquita, Mis. Occ 29.5 nm

43. Dapitan, Dipolog 37.6 nm

44. Liloy, Mis Occ. 54.0 nm

45. Ciocon (Port Sta. Maria), 49.0 nm

46. Sibuco, Zamboanga 31.0 nm

47. Zamboanga City 34.8 nm

48. Panubigan Island 15.7 nm

49. Bangaan Island,Port Banga 24.2 nm

50. Bagalamatan 16.0 nm

51. Subanipa 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 of Cotabato 41.5 nm

60. Gen. Santos City 41.5 nm

61. Glan, Saranggane 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