PRESS RELEASE
Butuan marks maritime legacy with historic Balangay International Conference
September 19, 2025 | Written and Published by: Ivy Marie Mangadlao - MindaNews
Dancers of the Hugis Dance Project perform a cultural piece during the opening day of the 1st Butuan Balangay International Conference in Butuan City on Thursday, 18 September 2025.
MindaNews photo by Ivy Marie Mangadlao
BUTUAN CITY (MindaNews / 19 September) – Long before the Philippines was known as an archipelagic nation, Butuan was already sailing into history with the balangay, the ancient wooden boats that carried people, goods, and stories across seas.
That enduring legacy is at the heart of the first-ever Butuan Balangay International Conference, which opened on Thursday, September 18, in this city regarded as the cradle of the ancient boat.
Organizers said the international gathering is part of the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of the boat excavations in 1976, when the first boat was unearthed in Libertad, Butuan City, which experts using Radiocarbon-14 dating suggest likely existed around 777–988 CE, or the 8th to 10th Common Era.
Attendees of the 1st Butuan Balangay International Conference pose for a photo at the exhibits on Thursday, 18 September 2025.
MindaNews photo by: Ivy Marie Mangadlao
It also aligns with the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030), linking heritage with global ocean concerns.
While named after the balangay, organizers said the conference will not only highlight the Butuan boats, which represent the shared cultural heritage of pre-colonial Philippines, but will also delve into themes such as Ocean Science, exploring how the UN Decade can integrate indigenous and local knowledge into a framework for delivering solutions that support a healthy ocean and Borderless Ocean, which highlights Southeast Asia’s long history of maritime connections.
The event is organized through the collaboration of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, the National Museum of the Philippines, Caraga State University, and the City Government of Butuan.
Butuan Mayor Lawrence Lemuel Fortun told reporters that the international conference is of great significance to the city.
“If you look at the topics, they are not entirely about the balangay; rather, they also cover the traditions of boat building and maritime seafaring across the Philippines. Still, the focus is on the balangay… The other name of the balangay is the Butuan boat, so the impact on tourism would be significant if the whole world comes to know that Butuan is the center and the birthplace of the balangay,” Fortun said.
One of the sites in Barangay Libertad, Butuan City where a balangay was excavated. MindaNews photo by H. Marcos C. Mordeno
He added that the presentations will serve as a collection of scholarly works that place Butuan at the center of maritime history in Southeast Asia.
Fortun pointed out that under his leadership, the city government is giving strong focus on the preservation of Butuan’s heritage, culture, and language.
Around 40 speakers from the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, France, and the USA are presenting academic research across eight sessions. These focus on topics such as maritime heritage and identity, indigenous lifeways, memory and material culture, seacraft and boatbuilding, archaeology, and language and traditions, with more than 30 presentations in total.
UP System President Angelo Jimenez, a Butuanon and the first Mindanawon to hold the position, told reporters on the sidelines of the event that when he assumed leadership, he envisioned a UP that is inclusive and focused on places long deprived of opportunities.
He said this is why he wants studies on Butuan and the balangay boats to be given solid academic grounding, noting that such research can help boost national awareness and strengthen aspects of Filipino identity that have long been overlooked.
“The UP has many scholars and research capabilities. I would like the studies on Butuan in particular, and the balangay boats, to have solid academic grounding, not just opinions,” Jimenez said.
The UP president added that the university is preparing to conduct digital studies, including forensic analysis, to further examine the balangay boats and other artifacts from the precolonial period.
Aside from academic presentations, the event also features cultural showcases, exhibits, and the revival of Lawig Balanghai, a cultural production that brings to life the history, heritage, and enduring spirit of the Butuan boats through music, dance, and performance.
The conference runs until September 19, followed by a Butuan Balangay Tour on September 20. Participants will visit heritage sites such as the Banza Church Ruins, Bading Balangay Boat Building Site, and the Butuan Boat 1 Site in Barangay Libertad. Cultural performances, a lecture-demonstration of Butuanon dishes, and food tasting are also part of the activities. (Ivy Marie Mangadlao/MindaNews)