After conquering Mt. Everest, nothing seems impossible to the Philippine Everest Team. And since adventurers like them are always on the look out for new hurdles to conquer, the Everest Team will take their adventures to sea this time: they will rebuild the "balangay" or "Butuan boat," an ancient sea vessel found in Agusan del Norte. The Austronesians, who eventually became the Filipinos' ancestors, rode the balangay when they first sailed to this Southeast Asian archipelago thousands of years ago.
Art Valdez, leader of the Everest expedition, uncovered details of the Voyage of Balangay during the launch of Live the Dream, a coffee table book about the team's Everest climb in 2006.
"In these times, we need to extol Filipino virtues, go back to our roots, and show the world na Kaya ng Pinoy (the Filipino Can)! We plan to achieve this through the Voyage of Balangay just as we did in Mt. Everest," Valdez said.
Master boat builders from Tawi-Tawi are set to work on the authentic balangay using the same shipbuilding technique and raw materials. Once the reconstruction is finished in 2009, the balangay will travel every major port of the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Micronesia, and Madagascar. By 2012, they plan to sail on the Atlantic and all the way around the world. If all goes as scheduled, the balangay will drop anchor home by 2013.
The balangay would accommodate 50 people, with the Philippine Everest Team (composed of Leo Oracion, Erwin Emata, Noelle Wenceslao, Carina Dayondon, Janet Belarmino-Sardena, Dr. Ted Esguerra, Fred Jamili, and Dr. Voltaire Velasco) at the core of the crew. Valdez said the public can join several legs of the balangay's voyage across the Philippines.
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