Be in a place where
everyone smiles and laughs. Be touched with cool waves and cold breeze at a
world-class beach resort. Witness fabulous and extravagant festivals, and eat
with your bare hands. Traditions that are well-preserved and the incredible works
of nature, from a perfect cone mountain, rich coral reefs, perfect powdered
sand and the outstanding morena skinned ladies. Dwell in a place of love and
warm hospitality; embrace the unique beauty of the Philippines.
The Balangay, the
first wooden boat to sail on the ancient waters of the South East Asia. Approximately 3 meters wide and 18 meters
long, big enough to load cargo for international trades. Thus, a symbol of the
mighty seafarers and a mark how creative and fit for survival the early
Filipino was. Skilled enough to steer by the sun, locate the stars, follow the
wind, read the clouds, depend on wave patterns and site the migration of the
birds. And yes, that’s how the Balangay Riders venture the lively seas.
Ancient mariners
could navigate only with what the nature tell them, for we all know that sun
rise at the east and sets on the west, they would also rely with the position
of particular stars. Cloud formations could help too to advise them for weather
conditions and a lot more from the signs of nature that works like what we now
know, the Global Positioning System or GPS. Filipinos have a strong intuition
too! So they could also travel the seas with the use of instinct.
The Badjao, one of
the indigenous ethnic groups from the island of Sulu; known to have dark skin.
They are naturally having a primitive and practical way of living. Seas are
their source of livelihood, where they go fishing and have it for trades. And
that’s made them as one of the best sea farers across the archipelago as they
preserved the ancient methods of navigation.
As surrounded by water,
half of the life of the Filipinos might actually depend on marine resources and
travelling on waves will be their signature practice. And with the Balangay,
the future of the Philippines will rise above the horizon humbly, having the
sobriquet: Pearl of the Orient Sea.
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