PRESS RELEASE

Revolutionary digital tools will accelerate Butuan boat research, preserve vanishing maritime traditions, and help Filipinos reconnect with their seafaring identity

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – The University of the Philippines School of Archaeology (UPSA) through its UP Heritage and Archaeology through Big Data and Imagery (HABI)) Laboratory, will soft-launch its transformative digital archaeology initiative during the Butuan Balangay International Conference on September 18-19, 2025, introducing technologies that promise to enhance how Filipinos understand their maritime heritage and precolonial identity.

The initiative, to be led by Dr Leee Anthony M. Neri, the Dean of the UPSA , represents a critical evolution in Philippine archaeological research—supplementing  traditional documentation methods with digital innovations to enrich understanding and create immersive, accessible experiences that connect contemporary Filipinos with their ancestral seafaring legacy.

“Digital archaeology transforms not just how we work, but what questions we can address about our past,” explained the Dean Neri. “These technologies allow us to see patterns less obvious to the naked eye, reconstruct lost traditions, and most importantly, support the conservation of our heritage, while making it accessible to every Filipino, not just scholars in academic institutions.”

Revealing Hidden Histories Through Technology

The initiative’s immediate impact is evident in research being presented at the conference. When the joint National Museum of the Philippines and UPSA    team led by Nero Austero and  Rachelle Anne Geline Ureta applied photogrammetry and three-dimensional (3D) modeling to Butuan Boats, they found construction details and degradation patterns that aided traditional observation. These digital reconstructions will also allow researchers to virtually “rebuild” the boats, understanding construction sequences and techniques that speak to the sophisticated engineering knowledge of precolonial Filipinos.

“Every scan, every 3D model brings us closer to understanding the minds of our ancestors,” noted Bobby Orillaneda of the National Museum’s Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Division (MUCHD). “We’re not just preserving objects—we’re recovering lost knowledge systems, understanding how our ancestors thought, solved problems, and navigated vast oceans .”

The collaborative research between the UPSA   and the National Museum of the Philippines in the 3D recording of the Butuan boat planks using Agisoft Metashape captures more than boat dimensions—it preserves the hand movements, decision-making processes, and accumulated wisdom of master boat builders. The documentation of these plank-built boats used over a millennia ago creates a digital library of gestures and techniques, ensuring this embodied knowledge survives for generations to come.

The digital archaeology initiative recognizes that understanding Filipino identity requires more than measuring artifacts—it demands reconstructing worldviews, belief systems, and ways of knowing embedded in maritime culture.

From Archives to Experience: Making Heritage Live

The initiative aims to eventually introduce virtual and augmented reality capabilities that transform static artifacts into living experiences. Imagine students virtually sailing a reconstructed balangay, feeling the boat respond to wind and waves, understanding viscerally why these vessels could traverse vast oceanic distances. Or communities using AR applications to see their coastlines as their ancestors did—overlaid with traditional place names, sailing routes, and seasonal patterns.

Digital archaeology democratizes heritage,” A child in a mountain barangay can explore a Butuan boat in virtual reality. A Filipino overseas worker can walk through a digital reconstruction of precolonial Sugbo. These technologies collapse distance and time, making our heritage immediately accessible and emotionally resonant.

AI and machine learning capabilities will accelerate pattern recognition in ways that reshape our understanding of precolonial Philippines. Automated classification of thousands of pottery sherds could reveal previously invisible trade relationships. Algorithm-assisted analysis of boat construction patterns might identify regional schools of boat building, mapping cultural exchange through technological traditions.

Safeguarding Indigenous Knowledge Systems

The initiative arrives at a critical moment when traditional knowledge holders are aging and maritime traditions face extinction. Digital archaeology offers tools to capture not just objects but entire knowledge systems—the prayers (tuob-tuob) whispered during boat launching, the selection criteria for specific trees, the reading of seasonal signs that determine sailing times.

Digital tools can preserve intangible heritage in an ever-changing world. Video documentation, acoustic analysis of ritual chants, and spatial mapping of ceremonial movements create multi-dimensional records that future generations can study, understand, and even revive.

“We’re racing against time,” notes Dr. Ligaya Lacsina, Conference Chair. “Every master boat builder who passes, every fisher who abandons traditional navigation, takes irreplaceable knowledge with them. Digital archaeology gives us tools to preserve artifacts and allow us to better understand our past. As our capabilities improve to include remote sensing technologies, we see the greater potential of identifying more sites to explore and study .”

Building Regional Leadership and Identity

The initiative positions UP in fostering collaborations that deepen understanding of shared maritime heritage. Our work on the Butuan boats compliments work already being done in Southeast Asia, notably in Agni Mochtar’s research on Indonesian lashed-lug boats.   At the same time, the UP HABI serves a profound purpose: helping Filipinos understand who we are by understanding who we were. Maritime heritage offers a unifying narrative of our past through master navigators, sophisticated engineers, and fearless explorers.

Dr. Emil Robles, who is pioneering the use of 3D photogrammetry and GIS at the UPSA , explains “by integrating technologies like 3D modeling and spatial analysis in reconstructing palaeoenvironment and sea level changes, we begin to see how ancient communities adapted and moved across the islands. These insights not only deepen our understanding of the past but also guide how we think about resilience and movement in the future.” 

The soft-launch at the conference will exhibit interactive  3D scanned archaeological sites and materials, allowing participants to witness archaeological resources that are often inaccessible to the public and see how digital technologies transform research from exclusive academic pursuit to inclusive cultural dialogue.

As the Philippines approaches the 50th anniversary of the Butuan boats’ discovery in 2026, the digital archaeology initiative ensures these vessels continue revealing new truths about ingenuity, maritime mastery, and cultural sophistication—truths that digital technology makes accessible, and understandable, for all Filipinos seeking to understand their heritage and themselves.

About the UP HABI (Heritage and Archaeology through Big Data and Imagery)

The UP HABI represents a transformative investment in archaeological infrastructure designed to enhance heritage research, conservation, and public engagement through digital technologies. The initiative promises to accelerate research productivity and enhance grant competitiveness.

For more information:
UP School of Archaeology
University of the Philippines Diliman
Email: [email protected], [email protected]