Reaction Paper: “Massive Balangay 'mother boat' unearthed in Butuan”

Archaeological discoveries from prehistoric and pre-colonial times handed down

through the years have contributed to unravelling the missing link in our identities as

Filipinos. These discoveries explain how people lived in specific times and places and what

people's daily lives were like. The article "Massive Balangay 'mother boat' unearthed in

Butuan" by Timothy James Dimacali is one of those hundreds of million pieces that can give

insight into Philippine history. The Balangay represents the Philippines' abundance of

historic maritime culture, connecting the islands with historical civilizations. Early

Filipinos were known for their boat-building ingenuity and seamanship skills during the

pre-colonial period. However, over the centuries of colonization, battle, and revolution, the

Balangay was completely lost, replaced by better Galleons, massive ships, and aviation

discovery. The Balangay gradually faded from people's minds throughout those historical

events and eventually vanished.

In the article written by Timothy James Dimacali, a massive Balangay "mother boat"

was discovered in Butuan City. It is approximately 800 years old and maybe centuries older

than the ships European explorers used when they arrived in the 16th century. The

discovered Balangay is so massive that it was constructed with treenails the size of soda

cans. With enormous treenails and boards, each as wide as a man's chest, the boat is

believed to be around 25 meters long compared to the average length of the other

Balangays. Dr. Mary Jane Louise A. Bolunia, an archeologist at the National Museum of

Natural History, drew an archaeological site map on thoroughly carved onionskin paper. A

15-meter-long pea pod-shaped shipwreck has been discovered in the top corner, one of
eight Balangays of this size recovered at the site since the 1970s. Furthermore, in 2012,

experts discovered what looks to be the remains of a ninth Balangay that is so massive that

it could easily fit two smaller vessels and has been not excavated entirely. As of June 2013,

the discovery is still being excavated. According to an updated news report released on

August 13, 2013, GMA News visited the site on August 14 and found that the excavation site

was flooded, causing more digging and investigation. Bolunia, on the other hand, asserted

that temporarily maintaining the artifacts in this state is beneficial to their conservation.

According to Ramon Villegas, a researcher who has conducted an extensive study on pre-

colonial Philippine history, historians have long known there were other large vessels. It is

only that the National Museum has just recently acquired the funding necessary to conduct

the excavations, and they are still a lot to be found, even just in Butuan.

Many individuals may believe that traditions and cultural heritages are outdated

and irrelevant today. However, I believe it is important to maintain a connection to our

cultural heritages largely because they provide numerous advantages. Cultural history may

inherently instil a sense of solidarity and group identity and help us better comprehend

preceding generations and our ancestors. The importance of the 'Balangay' boat as ancient

cultural artifacts plays a significant role in rewriting our history and links missing pieces to

preserve our identity. In order to develop and promote the 'Balangay' boat, it is necessary

to understand the nature and significance of this cultural asset to make strategic choices

that will ensure the heritage's appropriate implementation.

Reference: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/science/321334/massive-

balangay-mother-boat-unearthed-in-butuan/story/