Balangay
Encyclopedia
The Balangay or Balanghai is the first wooden watercraft ever excavated in Southeast Asia
. Also known as the Butuan boat, this artifact is evidence of early Filipino
craftsmanship and their seamanship skills during pre-colonial times. The Balanghai Festival is also a celebration in Butuan, Agusan del Norte
to commemorate the coming of the early migrants that settled the Philippines, on board the Balangay boats. When the first Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, they found the Filipinos having a civilization of their own and living in well-organized independent villages called barangays. The name barangay originated from balangay, the Austronesian word for "sailboat".
With the balangay’s size, it was used for cargo and raiding purposes, giving proof that Butuan played a central role in trade throughout the region of the Philippine islands and with neighboring areas.
It is also held that the balangay also helped spread the settlement of the Austronesian people around the Philippines
and neighboring regions in the Malay Archipelago
. The Tao people
of Taiwan
have traditionally been adept at crafting balangays, which are held as a symbol of their people.
. Being located on the coast of Mindanao
, balanghai's were often docking at Butuan bay keeping good business between the local people of Butuan and traders from the neighboring empire and neighboring islands. Various goods, extending to the statue of Avalokiteśvara
and the Golden Tara of Butuan, were traded across the Malay Archipelago
.
The balangay boats were discovered in the late 1970s in Butuan City
, Agusan del Norte
by archaeologists from the National Museum of the Philippines
. There were actually nine balangays recovered in the province. The first balangay, now preserved and displayed in a site museum in Libertad, Butuan City, was radiocarbon tested and was dated to year 320. The second boat was dated to 1250, and is now located at the Maritime Hall of the National Museum in Manila
. The third balangay was transferred to the Butuan Regional Museum and is still undergoing preservation. The six other boats, which are yet to be excavated, remain in their original waterlogged condition which is proven to be the best way to preserve the said artifacts.
The first wooden watercraft excavated in Southeast Asia, the Balangay is only found in the Philippines where a flotilla of such prehistoric wooden boats exists. Nine specimens were discovered in 1976 in Butuan City
, Agusan Del Norte
, Mindanao
and 3 of which have been excavated. Examination and extensive investigation reveals that the extant boats found in the excavation site date back to 320, 990 and 1250 AD.
Building a Balangay requires teamwork and unity among workers which is why it is now used by the Philippine Government as a term to refer to the smallest political unit, now popularly pronounced as barangay
.
A balangay is a plank boat adjoined by carved-out planks edged through pins or dowels. The term was adapted by archaeologists from an account of Antonio Pigafetta
in the early 16th century mentioning the word in Italian spelling, “balanghai.” Because of the ingenuity of Filipino boat makers, they were employed by the Spanish colonial regime to build the caracoa fleets that battled the Moros
and mercantile galleons that crossed the Pacific, known as the Manila Galleon
. The significance of the seafaring culture of the Philippines was demonstrated by the abundance of naval-related vocabularies in the 17th century Spanish dictionaries of Philippine languages.
The finely built boat, made without the use of blueprints, was taught to be made from one generation to another and uses a technique still used by boat makers of Sibutu Island
. Made 15 meters long and 3 to 4 meters wide, the Balangay is propelled by sail of buri, nipa
fiber, or padding and large enough to hold 60 to 90 people.
who was respected and venerated by his subjects.
Since balangays were relatively small political units, these were easily subjugated by the Spaniards. And to strengthen their colonial rule, the Spaniards converted the traditional datus into Cabeza de Barangay
– a position which, from being hereditary, became elective.
And as the nature of building the balangay requires unity, the term was used by the Philippine government to refer to its basic political unit, now called barangay
, headed by a barangay chairman. This may be compared to the traditional Indonesian banjar system in a village (desa
or kampung), whereby a village is looked after by the village chief and supporting role from elders.
during the waves of Austronesian settlement throughout the Malay region and the Pacific. The special wood for construction came from the established traditional source in southern Philippines, specifically Tawi-Tawi
. The team have pinpointed Badjao master boat builders, whose predecessors actually built such boats, and used traditional tools during the construction. The balangay was constructed at Manila Bay
, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines
Complex.
The Balangay, navigated without the use of instruments, and only through the skills and traditional methods of the Filipino Sea Badjao people, will tour the Philippines travelling from Luzon through the Visayas to Mindanao, and Sulu, stopping off at numerous Philippine cities along the way to promote the project. The journey around the Philippine islands will cover a distance of 2,108 nautical miles or 3,908 kilometers.
The second leg will see the Balangay navigate throughout South East Asia through to 2010, then Micronesia and Madascar the following year. The Balangay will then venture across the Pacific onward to the Atlantic and all the way around the world and back to the Philippines
from 2012 to 2013.
At February 4, 2011, the team arrived at Butuan City.
The balangay will navigate by the old method used by the ancient mariners – steering by the sun, the stars, the wind, cloud formations, wave patterns and bird migrations. Valdez and his team will rely on the natural navigational instincts of the Badjao. Apart from the Badjao, Ivatan
are also experts in using the boat.
The voyage hopes aims to reconnect to the greatness of the Filipino ancestors, and to rekindle the maritime consciousness among the Filipino people, a nation of over 90 million people living in the second largest island nation in the world. The voyage also aims to install Enrique De Malacca, the Indo-Malay, his rightful place in history as the first circum-navigator of the world.
Their vessel, named "Ngandahig", can also be compared to the Hokulea
voyages, and the voyages of the Polynesian Voyaging Society
.
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. Also known as the Butuan boat, this artifact is evidence of early Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
craftsmanship and their seamanship skills during pre-colonial times. The Balanghai Festival is also a celebration in Butuan, Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Caraga, a region in Mindanao. Its capital is Cabadbaran City and it borders Surigao del Norte to the north, Surigao del Sur to the east, Agusan del Sur to the south, and Misamis Oriental to the west...
to commemorate the coming of the early migrants that settled the Philippines, on board the Balangay boats. When the first Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, they found the Filipinos having a civilization of their own and living in well-organized independent villages called barangays. The name barangay originated from balangay, the Austronesian word for "sailboat".
The use of the balangay
It is also held that the balangay also helped spread the settlement of the Austronesian people around the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and neighboring regions in the Malay Archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
. The Tao people
Tao people
The Tao , originally recognized as Yami , are a Taiwanese aboriginal people, native to tiny outlying Orchid Island in Taiwan. The Tao are an Austronesian people linguistically and culturally closer to the Ivatan people of the Batanes islands in the Philippines than to other aboriginal peoples on...
of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
have traditionally been adept at crafting balangays, which are held as a symbol of their people.
Early boats in Butuan
Since the 10th century, Butuan appeared to have been in good relations with the Srivijayan EmpireSrivijaya
Srivijaya was a powerful ancient thalassocratic Malay empire based on the island of Sumatra, modern day Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. The earliest solid proof of its existence dates from the 7th century; a Chinese monk, I-Tsing, wrote that he visited Srivijaya in 671 for 6...
. Being located on the coast of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, balanghai's were often docking at Butuan bay keeping good business between the local people of Butuan and traders from the neighboring empire and neighboring islands. Various goods, extending to the statue of Avalokiteśvara
Avalokitesvara
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism....
and the Golden Tara of Butuan, were traded across the Malay Archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
.
The balangay boats were discovered in the late 1970s in Butuan City
Butuan City
The City of Butuan is the regional center of Caraga, serving as an administrative region of the Philippines; it is a highly urbanized city. It is located at the northeastern part of Agusan Valley, Mindanao, sprawling across the Agusan River. It is bounded to the north, west and south by Agusan del...
, Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Caraga, a region in Mindanao. Its capital is Cabadbaran City and it borders Surigao del Norte to the north, Surigao del Sur to the east, Agusan del Sur to the south, and Misamis Oriental to the west...
by archaeologists from the National Museum of the Philippines
National Museum of the Philippines
The Museum of the Filipino People is a department of the National Museum of the Philippines that houses the Anthropology and Archaeology Divisions of the National Museum. It is located in the Agrifina Circle, Rizal Park, Manila adjacent to the main National Museum building...
. There were actually nine balangays recovered in the province. The first balangay, now preserved and displayed in a site museum in Libertad, Butuan City, was radiocarbon tested and was dated to year 320. The second boat was dated to 1250, and is now located at the Maritime Hall of the National Museum in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. The third balangay was transferred to the Butuan Regional Museum and is still undergoing preservation. The six other boats, which are yet to be excavated, remain in their original waterlogged condition which is proven to be the best way to preserve the said artifacts.
The first wooden watercraft excavated in Southeast Asia, the Balangay is only found in the Philippines where a flotilla of such prehistoric wooden boats exists. Nine specimens were discovered in 1976 in Butuan City
Butuan City
The City of Butuan is the regional center of Caraga, serving as an administrative region of the Philippines; it is a highly urbanized city. It is located at the northeastern part of Agusan Valley, Mindanao, sprawling across the Agusan River. It is bounded to the north, west and south by Agusan del...
, Agusan Del Norte
Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Caraga, a region in Mindanao. Its capital is Cabadbaran City and it borders Surigao del Norte to the north, Surigao del Sur to the east, Agusan del Sur to the south, and Misamis Oriental to the west...
, Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
and 3 of which have been excavated. Examination and extensive investigation reveals that the extant boats found in the excavation site date back to 320, 990 and 1250 AD.
Building a Balangay requires teamwork and unity among workers which is why it is now used by the Philippine Government as a term to refer to the smallest political unit, now popularly pronounced as barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
.
Boat-making tradition
Antonio Pigafetta
Antonio Pigafetta was an Italian scholar and explorer from the Republic of Venice. He travelled with the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew on their voyage to the Indies. During the expedition, he served as Magellan's assistant and kept an accurate journal which later assisted him...
in the early 16th century mentioning the word in Italian spelling, “balanghai.” Because of the ingenuity of Filipino boat makers, they were employed by the Spanish colonial regime to build the caracoa fleets that battled the Moros
Moros
In Greek mythology, Moros is the personification of impending doom, who drives mortals to their deadly fate. He is one of the offspring of Nyx , who had conceived him without male intervention, and brother of the Moirae ....
and mercantile galleons that crossed the Pacific, known as the Manila Galleon
Manila Galleon
The Manila galleons or Manila-Acapulco galleons were Spanish trading ships that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila in the Philippines, and Acapulco, New Spain . The name changed reflecting the city that the ship was sailing from...
. The significance of the seafaring culture of the Philippines was demonstrated by the abundance of naval-related vocabularies in the 17th century Spanish dictionaries of Philippine languages.
The finely built boat, made without the use of blueprints, was taught to be made from one generation to another and uses a technique still used by boat makers of Sibutu Island
Sibutu Island
Sibutu Island is an island in the Sulu Archipelago in Tawi-Tawi province, Philippines. Its area is 109 km²....
. Made 15 meters long and 3 to 4 meters wide, the Balangay is propelled by sail of buri, nipa
Nipa
NIPA, Nipa or nipah may refer to:* Nipa palm, Nypa fruticans* Nipa grass, Distichlis palmeri* Nipah virus, a Henipavirus* National Income and Product Accounts * National Institute of Public Administration...
fiber, or padding and large enough to hold 60 to 90 people.
As a socio-political unit
The balangay was more than a mere boat. It was more like a vessel bearing a social unit. In fact, upon the arrival of the Spaniards in Luzon in the 16th century, they found out that the term balangay was also used to refer to the smallest political unit among the Tagalogs. The said unit, ranging from 30 to 100 households, was ruled by a chief or datuDatu
Datu is the title for tribal chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs in the Visayas and Mindanao Regions of the Philippines. Together with Lakan , Apo in Central and Northern Luzon, Sultan and Rajah, they are titles used for native royalty, and are still currently used in the Philippines...
who was respected and venerated by his subjects.
Since balangays were relatively small political units, these were easily subjugated by the Spaniards. And to strengthen their colonial rule, the Spaniards converted the traditional datus into Cabeza de Barangay
Cabeza de Barangay
The Cabeza de Barangay was the leader or chief of a barangay in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. The post was inherited from the first datus who became cabezas de barangay when the many independent barangays fell under the rule of the Spanish Crown...
– a position which, from being hereditary, became elective.
And as the nature of building the balangay requires unity, the term was used by the Philippine government to refer to its basic political unit, now called barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
, headed by a barangay chairman. This may be compared to the traditional Indonesian banjar system in a village (desa
Desa
Desa can refer to:*Desa , an American rock band*Desaparecidos, American punk band*desa , a village in Indonesia*DESA diesel, diesel manufacturing co...
or kampung), whereby a village is looked after by the village chief and supporting role from elders.
The Balangay Voyage
In 2009, the Kaya ng Pinoy, Inc. that conquered Mt. Everest in 2006 announced plans to re-construct the Balangay boat, with the help of Badjao and other tribal members. The Balangay will be sailed, tracing the routes of the Filipino AncestorsFilipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
during the waves of Austronesian settlement throughout the Malay region and the Pacific. The special wood for construction came from the established traditional source in southern Philippines, specifically Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . The capital of Tawi-Tawi is Bongao. The province is the southernmost of the country sharing sea borders with the Malaysian State of Sabah and the Indonesian East Kalimantan province. To the...
. The team have pinpointed Badjao master boat builders, whose predecessors actually built such boats, and used traditional tools during the construction. The balangay was constructed at Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines
Cultural Center of the Philippines
The Cultural Center of the Philippines is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines. The CCP was established through Executive Order No. 30 s. 1966 by President Ferdinand Marcos...
Complex.
The Balangay, navigated without the use of instruments, and only through the skills and traditional methods of the Filipino Sea Badjao people, will tour the Philippines travelling from Luzon through the Visayas to Mindanao, and Sulu, stopping off at numerous Philippine cities along the way to promote the project. The journey around the Philippine islands will cover a distance of 2,108 nautical miles or 3,908 kilometers.
The second leg will see the Balangay navigate throughout South East Asia through to 2010, then Micronesia and Madascar the following year. The Balangay will then venture across the Pacific onward to the Atlantic and all the way around the world and back to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
from 2012 to 2013.
At February 4, 2011, the team arrived at Butuan City.
The balangay will navigate by the old method used by the ancient mariners – steering by the sun, the stars, the wind, cloud formations, wave patterns and bird migrations. Valdez and his team will rely on the natural navigational instincts of the Badjao. Apart from the Badjao, Ivatan
Ivatan people
The Ivatans are a Filipino ethnolinguistic group predominant in the Batanes Islands of the Philippines. The origins of the Ivatans remained untraced among scholars, although evidences suggest that they are Christians who lived in the islands between northern Luzon and Taiwan...
are also experts in using the boat.
The voyage hopes aims to reconnect to the greatness of the Filipino ancestors, and to rekindle the maritime consciousness among the Filipino people, a nation of over 90 million people living in the second largest island nation in the world. The voyage also aims to install Enrique De Malacca, the Indo-Malay, his rightful place in history as the first circum-navigator of the world.
Their vessel, named "Ngandahig", can also be compared to the Hokulea
Hokulea
Hōkūlea is a performance-accurate full-scale replica of a waa kaulua, a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe. Launched on 8 March 1975 by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, she is best known for her 1976 Hawaii to Tahiti voyage performed with Polynesian navigation techniques, without modern...
voyages, and the voyages of the Polynesian Voyaging Society
Polynesian Voyaging Society
The Polynesian Voyaging Society is a non-profit research and educational corporation based in Honolulu, Hawaii. PVS was established to research and perpetuate traditional Polynesian voyaging methods...
.
Further reading
- Quintos, Paul. “Balangay.” 101 Filipino Icons. Manila: Adarna House, Inc. and Bench, 2007.
- Casal, Gabriel S., et al. "The Ingenious Filipino Boat." Kasaysayan Volume II: The Earliest Filipinos. Philippines: Asia Publishing Company Limited, 1998.
- archaeology. (accessed on August 10, 2007).
- The Philippine Consulate General – Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. (accessed on August 10, 2007).