Pre-colonial boats make Puerto Princesa their port of entry 11/21/2010

Pre-colonial boats make Puerto Princesa their port of entry

11/21/2010
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — The three pre-colonial replicas of the 320 A.D. “Butuan boat” and their crew are back last Friday in the Philippines, making Puerto Princesa City their port of entry after a four-month long voyage to several countries in Southeast Asia, the last of which was the shores of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Former Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) Undersecretary Arturo Valdez, balangay voyage leader, and the other core crew of Diwata ng Lahi, Sama Tawi-Tawi and Masawa Hong Butuan, arrived safely to Puerto Princesa shortly before 1 p.m. and dropped anchors at the Puerto Princesa City Bay.
Unshaved in the face, except for the female crew, and their skins darkened by long days of exposure to the sun, Valdez and the core crew of the plank boat flotilla, Leo Oracion, Erwin “Pastour” Emata, Janet Belarmino-Sardenia, Carina Dayondon, Noelle Wenceslao, Dr. Ted Esquerra, Fred Jamili, Voltaire Velasco, Lito Esperar, Mark Lim, and 28 others were welcomed by Puerto Princesa Vice Mayor Lucilo Bayron, City Information Officer Alroben Goh, City Tourism Officer and Assistant City Administrator Rebecca Labit, the media and other employees of the city government at the curved inlet of sea that bestrides the baywalk.
The balangay flotilla sailed from the Philippines August of this year to travel to Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia with the vision to stir Filipino pride, rekindle maritime consciousness, feel proud of the Philippines’ pre-colonial boat building culture and traditions, and retrace the trade route of the forefathers of the Filipinos..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20101121nat5.html