How were the Balangays Built?

How were the Balangays Built (Butuan Boats)? THEY WERE SEWN! The Butuan Boats have planks EDGE-JOINED with wooden dowels and no metal fastenings. They were also built using the LASHED-LUG boatbuilding tradition which was once common in maritime Southeast Asia. Each boat is approximately 15 meters from the prow to the stern and 3 meters … Read more

Mt. Mayon in Albay

Mt. Mayon in Albay RARE VOLCANIC LANDFORM! You have never been to Bicol if you have not seen the rare sight of a mountain that looks like a cone. To continue our Bulkan Ng Bikol series, today we revisit Mt. Mayon in Albay. Majestic at a height of 2,462 meters, Mayon’s almost perfectly shaped cone … Read more

How old are the balangays or Butuan Boats?

How old are the balangays or Butuan Boats? OLD ENOUGH. The Butuan Boats, as we call them in the National Museum PH, or the “balangays” as it is popularly known, is the oldest archaeological evidence of watercraft in the Philippines. The boats were likely to have existed around 689-968 or 7th to 10th centuries Before … Read more

How were the balangays used in the past?

How were the balangays used in the past? LAYAG NA! The ‘balangay’ or Butuan Boat was the first and oldest wooden boat that was excavated in Southeast Asia demonstrating early Filipinos’ boatbuilding genius and seafaring expertise in pre-colonial times. These boats were instrumental in the settlement of Austronesian peoples in the Philippines and the Malay … Read more

New Tutuban Train Station

New Tutuban Train Station (Calle Mayhaligue) The New Tutuban Train Station, also known as the Tutuban Station Executive Building, was opened in 1996. It replaced the original Tutuban Station located 500 meters to the south. In front of the new tutuban station are several old locomotive models that were previously used by the Philippine National … Read more