By Charissa Luci-Atienza The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture unanimously passed yesterday a bill declaring balangay, the oldest watercraft in the country, as the national boat of the Philippines. Balangay (Facebook) The House panel, chaired by Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo approved House Bill 1943, principally authored by Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Lemuel Fortun. “We unanimously approved the bill declaring balangay as the national boat of the Philippines,” Romulo said in an interview. During the previous 17th Congress, the House of Representatives approved Fortun’s measure on the third and final reading. "The Balangay is a source of true national pride that should not be forgotten. It is time to formally include it in our roster of national symbols,” Fortun said. He expressed hope that the bill will be passed by Congress and be enacted into law. “The Balangay deserves its rightful place not only in museums but also more importantly, in the consciousness of every Filipino. Declaring it as the county's national boat will ensure that future generations of Filipinos will recognize the invaluable contribution of our forefathers in shaping our maritime tradition and passing on the values of solidarity, harmony, determination and bravery,” Fortun said. Balangay, known as the Butuan Boat, is a "symbol of the Filipino community’s character of unity, cooperation, determination and resilience,” he pointed out. Fortun noted that balangay was the first-ever wooden watercraft to be excavated in Southeast Asia demonstrating early Filipino boat-building genius and seamanship expertise during the pre-colonial times. “Found only in the Philippines where a flotilla of such ancient boats exists, the Butuan boat was used by our ancestors to maintain trade relations with neighboring islands around the country and empires around Southeast Asia,” he said. He said the extensive utilization of balangay for trade "confirms the active involvement of our forefathers in robust commercial activities in Asia as easy as the 10th and 11th centuries.” The vessel is a plank boat adjoined by carved-out planks edged through pins and dowels. It is a finely built boat designed for long-distance navigation made without the use of blueprints and was taught to be made from one generation to another using an ancient technique that has been preserved and is still employed by boat makers of Sibutu island. "The boat was first mentioned in the 16th Century in the Chronicles of Pigafetta,” Fortun noted, citing that there are nine balangay boats known to be in existence, the oldest of which has been carbon-dated around 320 A.D.