Firefly360's Blog
A Collection of Published 360VR Articles and Personal JournalsArchive for balangay
Launch of Balangay Sama Tawi-Tawi
Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Click the images to view the 360-degree VRs. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required. Average VR size is 1.8Mb each.
July 16, 2010 marks another historical milestone for Butuan; this was the day the 3rd balangay boat was launched at Luna Compound, in Brgy. Bading, Butuan City. Spearheaded by Kaya ng Pinoy Foundation and the Butuan Global Forum, the festive event was attended by Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr., Congresswoman Angel Amante-Matba, Congressman Jose Aquino II, other local officials and stakeholders, students, and scores of well-wishers. Most Rev. Juan De Dios M. Pueblos D.D. and Father Amalla blessed the boat which officially hit the waters of the Agusan River at around 2PM amidst a jubilant crowd.
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Butuan’s Balangay
Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Click the images to view the 360-degree VRs. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required. Average VR size is 2.1Mb each.
It’s a little past 11AM as I waited impatiently in the cargo office of Cebu Pacific Air for my bag of photo equipment to be handed over while the new balangay is about to be launched any moment into the waters of Agusan River, a good 15 minutes away from the Bancaxi Airport. The anxiousness was building up within as the thought of traveling hundreds of kilometers for this one event and to miss it by a hairline will indeed be appalling!
The predicament begun as I set foot again in Butuan the day earlier; having arrived, minus my check-in baggage which they were only able to trace that afternoon, was sent to Tuguegarao instead! What’s more, it can only be shipped by the first flight the next day, ETA 1145.
So there I was, halfway through the launch program, ran to the airport and finally got my equipment at 1130; from thereon, we practically drove like crazy back to the launch site with barely 30 minutes to spare as the newly built 2nd balangay hit water at around 12 noon.
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Historic Butuan
Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Click the images to view the 360-degree VRs. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required. Average VR size is 2.5Mb each.
“In the beginning, there was no Philippines but there was BUTUAN”
Such is the claim to fame of Butuan, a province located in the Caraga region in Northeastern Mindanao; a place known for its rich history and colorful culture.
Butuan is a term believed to have originated from the sour fruit “Batuan”. Others opined, it came from a certain “Datu Buntuan”, a chieftain who once ruled Butuan. Scholars believed, it came from the word “But-an”, which literally means a person who has sound and discerning disposition.
As early as the 10th century, according to the Chinese Song Shi (history), people from Butuan had already established trading relations with the kingdom of Champa in what is now South Vietnam. By the 11th century, Butuan was the center of trade and commerce in the Philippines. The best evidence to prove this fact is the discovery of 9 balangays (The Butuan Boats) and other archeological finds in the vicinities of Butuan City, particularly in Ambangan, Libertad near the old El Rio de Butuan and Masao River.
With almost 1,700 years of recorded history, Butuan’s past may very well serve as testaments of our people’s pride as future generations of Filipinos look back into our proud heritage.
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Maiden Voyage of the Balangay
Author’s Note: This article uses virtual reality technology to provide an immersive experience. Click the images to view the 360-degree VRs. Adobe Flash 10 or higher is required. Average VR size is 2.2Mb each.
I found myself in Erik Lacson’s car speeding towards Sangley Point, Cavite City on an impromptu decision that day after seeing the balangay off in CCP grounds for the start of its maiden voyage. It was a decision that I never regretted.
The weather that morning was radiantly sunny like the day before. The sky was in a deepest blue, and crystal clear. A slight breeze was coming from the west and temperature was on a steady increase as we approached mid day.
When I arrived on the site, a sizable crowd and well-wishers from sponsors and supporters were already gathered. The sent-off ceremony was brief and simple; highlighted by a few speeches and a prayer for safe voyage.
