BANGKA – AUSTRONESIAN, WHICH

MEANS BOAT
- IT WAS FIRST RECORDER TO
REFER TO ALL KINDS OF SMALL
BOAT
TH
- BY THE 18 CENTURY, IT
EXPANDED INCLUDING ALL KINDS
OF WATER VESSELS OF VARYING
SIZES
In ilocos region “paraw”
BILOG – A PLANK BUILT BOAT
WITH NO OUTRIGGERS

TODAY BANKA IS ALSO FOUND IN

ALMOST ALL OF THE PHILIPPINE
LANGUAGES INCLUDING
KAPANPANGAN
HILIGAYNON
SEBUANO
 SAMAR-LEYTE
SINAMA LANGUAGES
AMONG THE BADJAU OR SAMA
LAUT, BANGKA IS THE GENERAL
TERM FOR ALL KINDS OF BOATS
BUT NOT USE AS HOUSEBOATS
- HOUSE BOATS ARE SPECIFICALLY
CALLED NIPA
 TH
IN MINDANAO, DURING THE 17
CENTURY BOATS COULD CARRY 20-
100 CAVANS OF RICE

THE JESUIT PRIEST FRANCISCO

COMBES DESRIBED IT AS CARVED
FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF LOG
THERE WERE 2 KINDS OF BOAT IN
MAGUINDANAO
BINALOY – A SINGLE LOG
KUMPIT – BLANK-BUILT
TODAY THE KUMPIT, OF SAMA AND
TAUSUG MEASURES BETWEEN 50
TO 120 FEET IN LEGHT
- IT WAS IN MINDANAO THAT THE
BANGKA IS FIRST DESCRIBE AS A
LARGE BOAT ALTHOUGH IT IS
STILL CARVED OUT FROM A
SINGLE PIECE OF LOG

TH
DURING THE 18 CENTURY,
“BANGKA” WAS FOUND AMONG
ILOKANO AND TAGALOG, BUT NOT
IN BICOL AND VISAYAN
THEY CALLED IT SACAYAN
AMD BALOTO (SINGLE LOG)

ACCORDING TO ALCINA, HE DEFINE

IT AS SMALLEST, SIMPLEST, AND
MOST COMMON CRAFT.

BALOTO- COULD BE CARRIED BY A

SINGLE PERSON.
 - He likened the sight of it to a ball floating on the
waves.
BANGKA WAS MORE THAN JUST A
BOAT

Alcia, “million superstitions” involved in cutting tree

and shaping the log
THE BOAT RITUALS
KIBANG – IN TAGALOG, IS THE
ROCKING MOTION OF A BOAT ON
THE WAVES
- As a ceremony, it’s the old tradition asking anito what luck
could befall the riders before sailing or docking
- The movement was attributed as the spirit’s response

Guibang – in Visayans, it was done before raiding or fishing

expedition. “guibang guibang magtoto cami” (sway, sway if we
should proceed)
If sway = GOOD FORTUNE
 The greater the movement = the better one’s fortune
- PRACTICED UNTIL PRESENT TIME

IF THE RELATIVES OR A
CHILDREN WHO DIED
GOT SICK
(1) THEY’D BE PLACED IN
A BARANGAY
 TOGETHER WITH A
BAYLAN (FEMALE
DIVINER
(2) THEY’D THROWN
WOODEN CHEST FULL
OF CLOTHES AND
 OTHER BELONGINGS
OF THE DEAD PERSON
(3) THEY WOULD ASK
THEIR ANCESTORS
FOR HELP
 BACALAG – VISAYAN
BOAT LAUNCHING IN THE
TH
17 CENTURY

When a mangaiao (raiding boat) was to be launched, it’d rolled over

several places of logs and at the end there was an enslaved captive.
- through blood of the human sacrifice, the boat would be feared by
the enemies and would succeed in obtaining numerous captives
- “daoharlucsin iginbabacalagna” a request that people would fear the
boat in the same mmanner the sacrificed captive did
In Calagan (Caraga), the bacalag ritual was performed for the healing of
a datu who was seriously ill.
Calag in Bicol and Visayan means soul,
Combes referred to the bacalag ritual as “revolting”
- “for the boats to obtain good fortune, they promise it at the first
instance a name, usually that one of their slaves”
- Remnants of this ritual remain although in less severe form

In Masbate City, the prow (front) of the boat to be launched is brushed with
chicken blood, while prayers are intoned
- Usually done by an elderly person.
- IT WAS SHOWNED IN THE MOVIE MURO-AMI
- That practice is also been transmitted to a modern form of transport: the
wheels of a new car are also brushed with the chicken blood.
- The sacrifice is believed to bring the boat good fortune.

- Fisherman in the northernmost Pilippine island of Batanes offer up a

pig to transfer to the animal whatever ill-fortune may befall them or
their boats.