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RPH-Reaction Paper
Massive Balangay 'Mother Boat' Unearthed in Butuan

In ancient times, Filipinos who were living in coastal areas sustained their

necessities through fishing, trade, fighting, travel, and communication. Balangay, also

known as Butuan boats in the past, is the country's oldest watercraft and the National Boat

of the Philippines, as proclaimed by the House Committee on Revision of Laws (Bundang,

2015). It was chosen so that "future generations of Filipinos can acknowledge their

ancestors' significant role in building the country's marine culture and in passing on the

virtues of unity, harmony, determination, courage, and bravery." The Balangay was

discovered in Southeast Asia, exhibiting pre-colonial Filipino boat-building intelligence and

seamanship ability. The historical discovery of the wooden boat, which was found by well-

known historians, boasted the name of Butuan City.

Massive balangay 'mother boat' discovered in Butuan City, Mindanao. The largest

ancient Filipino watercraft ever unearthed. It was first published on August 9, 2013, by

Timothy James Dimacali of GMA News. The plank vessel, estimated to be over 800 years

old, maybe centuries older than the ships used by European explorers in the 16th century

when they first discovered the archipelago afterward dubbed Las Islas Felipenas after a

Spanish monarch (Dimacali, 2013). It was also stated that the article not only highlighted

the massive balangay, but also theories that the Philippines and Butuan were key centers

for cultural, religious, and commercial interactions in Southeast Asia. The discovery was led

by the National Museum archeologist Dr. Mary Jane Louise A Bolunia. She claims that

everything about the newly discovered "balangay" is huge. They come upon a nail the size

of soda cans. The treenails or wooden pegs used in the mother boat's construction were
around 5 cm in diameter. They calculated the boat's length to be at least 25 meters long

unlike the average 15-meter length of the other balangays at the excavation site based on

the size of the nails. Aside from the treenails, they discovered a large plank the width of a

man's chest. According to an updated article published by GMA News on August 13, 2013,

their team visited the site on August 14 and discovered the excavation site to be wet,

requiring more digging and investigation. Bolunia, on the other hand, claimed that

maintaining the artifacts in that state, for the time being, is beneficial to the conservation.

Bolunia told GMA News team to just let the water seep in and leave it alone because it's

more protected than drying it because if it's exposed without proper conservation, it will

collapse. Jorge Absite, officer-in-charge of the Butuan Museum, is hopeful that the discovery

will yield more insights into our Filipino ancestors (Dimacali, 2013). The Butuan Museum

was responsible for supervising the maintenance and security of the balangay excavations

as well as any items discovered at the site. The finding also implies that Filipino seafarers

were significantly more structured and centralized than thought previously. The discovery

reveals too that there was already contact and trade with areas outside of the Philippine

islands as shown not only by the artifacts dating to this period that could only have come

from another place (The Butuan Boat (Balangay), n.d.). The arrival of a diplomatic

expedition from the "Kingdom of Butuan" was documented by the Song Dynasty. Over a

thousand years ago, Filipino seafarers from Butuan were already exploring Asia, far ahead

of our Chinese neighbors. Azurin believes that ancient Filipino craftsmen were transported

abroad to help with the construction of historical structures such as Angkor Wat. In any

case, the “mother boat” and the smaller balangays in Butuan were made for exploring the

high seas, according to Dr. Bolunia (Dimacali, 2013). The general form and design are more
suited to navigating deep ocean waters than narrow rivers. In 2010, the replica of

balangays built by Sama-Badjao craftsmen and manned by Filipino adventurers completed

a 14,000-km journey across Southeast Asia, proving the seaworthiness of the original

balangays and the traditional woodcraft used to construct them (Dimacali, 2013). Sama-

Badjao of Sulu practice boat-building techniques that are similar to those used in

constructing the balangays. One of the boats is now displayed permanently outside the

National Museum in Manila. Dr. Bolunia and her team plan to return to Butuan to complete

the excavation. Dr. Bolunia says there are two competing theories: either the boats were

intentionally buried, or they were left behind after a sudden cataclysm – such as a landslide

from an earthquake (Dimacali, 2013). There are more to be discovered to answer the

remaining questions that face probers of the Philippine ancient past.

We can see that not everyone has a real attachment to their ethnic background.

Some people may believe that traditions and cultural heritages are outdated and no longer

vital in today's world. However, some individuals believe that connecting to our cultural

heritage is important since it provides a wide range of benefits. Cultural legacy may

automatically offer a sense of unity and belonging within a community, as well as assist us

to fully understand past generations and the history of where we come from. Cultural

heritage preserves human cultures' historical memory. It adds to national identity as well

as a scientific and cultural value, making the country more identifiable and improving its

image. Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with now, and what we pass on to

future generations. It creates a certain feeling in us, or because they make us feel as if we

are a part of something. The significance of the Balangay as a cultural heritage in our

country is a significant component in the development of our country's tourism. We must

understand the nature and significance of this cultural property to make strategic decisions

and ensure efficient implementation in spreading the legacy to others to be able to promote

and develop the Balangay. The Philippines is one of many favorite tourist destinations.

Tourism is an industry that uses humanity's cultural legacy and contributes to its

enrichment. It promotes and develops their traditional and cultural heritage activities and

programs, and the 'Balangay' will be promoted to the public. Promoting will give a positive

socio-cultural effect on the local production of goods and services, specifically in Butuan.

Therefore, we must save the 'Balangay' boat as part of our local cultural heritage. The

protection of the 'Balangay' boat, on the other hand, is the role and duty of authorities and

institutions in the Butuan City. We may preserve our historical heritage by maintaining its

current contribution and value to society. We must also appreciate and encourage the

preservation and development of the Balangay. We must remember that every historical

landmark has a significant tale to tell, and these stories have inspired many individuals to

deepen their views and desire to fight for justice and oppression.

References:

Bundang, R. (2015, November 29). House committee on revision of laws approves bill declaring the

balangay as national boat. Retrieved from

https://www.congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=9171

Dimacali. T. (2013, August 9). Massive balangay ‘mother boat’ unearthed in Butuan. Retrieved from

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/science/321334/massive-balangay-mother-boat-

unearthed-in-butuan/story/
Historic Butuan. (n.d.). The butuanboat(balangay). Retrieved from

http://mybutuan.blogspot.com/2007/09/butuan-boat-balangay.html